Sony has acquired 16 million shares in Bandai Namco, which equates to about 2.5% of the company, to the tune of around 68 billion yen.
The deal, which was announced by Sony in a statement, forges a "business alliance" between two leading Japanese entertainment brands. Sony and Bandai are looking to expand "the fan community for IP such as anime and manga around the world and strengthening engagement, particularly in the anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated."
Sony and Bandai Namco have worked together before and plan to broaden their collaborative efforts in wider media. With Bandai Namco's IP and Sony's expertise in distributing, promoting, and merchandising content, it seems both parties are rather pleased with continued cooperation.
"Through this partnership, we aim to co-create an array of content and experiences that exceed expectations and deliver Kando (emotion) to even more fans, alongside Bandai Namco Group, with its outstanding capacity for multidirectional expansion of diverse IP and deep connections with fans at real touchpoints, both domestically and internationally," said Sony's chief strategy officer and representative corporate executive officer Toshimoto Mitomo.
So, expect some collaborative anime efforts in the future between Bandai Namco and Sony. If you were thinking 68 billion yen might sound like enough money for a bigger buyout, it's worth noting this figure equates to around $463,000,000 USD, which is a huge figure, but not nearly enough for a monster acquisition.