Sony Group Corporation and Bandai Namco Holdings have announced a strategic partnership that will see the two Japanese entertainment giants work together to expand their reach in the anime and manga markets worldwide. The deal was announced on July 24, 2025, and Sony expects it won’t significantly impact their financial results for the fiscal year ending March 2026.

As part of the deal, Sony is purchasing 16 million Bandai Namco shares for approximately 68 billion yen, giving Sony a 2.5% stake in the company. The partnership focuses heavily on growing the global fan community for anime and manga content, with both companies seeing major growth potential in the anime market. By combining their resources and expertise, Sony and Bandai Namco plan to create new and engaging experiences for fans while maximizing the value of their entertainment properties.

The two companies aren’t strangers to working together – they’ve previously collaborated on projects involving games, anime, and music. Now they’re planning to expand this cooperation into even more areas. Their collaboration will include joint development and promotion of anime and manga content, technical work on entertainment experiences, and support for creators through new technologies and services.

Nobuhiko Momoi, Executive Vice President at Bandai Namco, expressed excitement about combining Sony’s technological capabilities with Bandai Namco’s strategy of maximizing the value of their entertainment properties. He said the partnership will help them connect with fans worldwide and achieve their goal of “Fun for All into the Future.”

Sony’s Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo highlighted Bandai Namco’s ability to expand diverse entertainment properties and connect with fans both in Japan and internationally. He said the partnership will help both companies create content that delivers “Kando” (emotion) to more fans and supports Sony’s “Creative Entertainment Vision.”