TOKYO, Japan – Sony Group Corporation and Bandai Namco Holdings have announced a significant strategic business alliance, with Sony acquiring a 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco for approximately ¥68 billion (around $460 million USD). The partnership, revealed on Thursday, July 24, 2025, aims to deepen collaboration across various entertainment sectors, particularly focusing on expanding the global reach of anime, manga, and gaming intellectual properties (IPs).
Expanding Global IP Reach and Fan Engagement
The core objective of this strategic alliance is to strengthen engagement within the global fan community for Japanese intellectual properties, with a particular emphasis on the rapidly growing anime market. Both companies, recognizing their positions as leading Japanese entertainment entities, intend to merge their strengths to create “emotionally moving experiences” and maximize the value of their IPs.
A History of Collaboration and Future Endeavors
Sony and Bandai Namco have a long-standing history of collaboration across games, anime, and music. This new partnership signifies an intent to expand these efforts into a broader range of areas. Key initiatives include leveraging Sony’s expertise in anime production and video distribution to enhance Bandai Namco’s IPs, jointly developing and promoting anime and manga properties, and investing in technologies and platforms that boost fan engagement and creator support.
Implications for the Gaming Industry
While the announced partnership officially frames its scope around anime and cross-media entertainment, Sony’s substantial investment in Bandai Namco has sparked speculation regarding potential implications for the gaming industry, particularly for PlayStation. Given Sony’s track record of investing in studios and securing console exclusives, some anticipate that this deal could lead to future Bandai Namco titles becoming PlayStation exclusives or debuting with exclusive content. This would be a significant development, especially considering Bandai Namco’s traditional multiplatform approach.
Sony’s Growing Investment Portfolio
This strategic partnership with Bandai Namco is the latest in a series of investments by Sony in other entertainment companies. Sony currently holds significant stakes in several other prominent Japanese media entities, including 10.11% of Kadokawa, 14.09% of FromSoftware (a developer whose games are often published by Bandai Namco), 5% of Devolver Digital, 4.9% of Epic Games, and 4.98% of Chinese media publisher Bilibili. These investments underscore Sony’s broader strategy to expand its content ecosystem and secure access to a diverse range of intellectual properties.
Collaboration with Gaudiy and Web3
Notably, this partnership follows a recent announcement in May 2025 where Sony, Bandai Namco, and Web3 company Gaudiy initiated a strategic partnership focused on building the future of entertainment, including a joint investment of ¥10 billion into Gaudiy. This collaboration aims to create new entertainment experiences by leveraging technologies such as blockchain and generative AI, and to accelerate the global expansion of Japanese IPs through platforms like MyAnimeList, which is now owned by Gaudiy. These multi-faceted alliances highlight a concerted effort by Sony and Bandai Namco to innovate and broaden their reach within the global entertainment landscape.
