Nikkei - Sony sets out to conquer entertainment world with anime (with multi-pronged strategy including games) | ResetEra
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[/size]QuoteTOKYO - Sony will leverage the combined strength of the group companies to expand its animation business overseas, making it the fourth pillar of its entertainment portfolio after music, movies and games.
"Our group is keen to help bring Japanese cartoons to fans around the world," Sony Chairman Kenichiro Yoshida said at a strategy meeting on May 19., describing animation as a "company that embodies the 'One Sony' concept". Click to expand... Click to shrink...QuoteSony is betting on "Demon Slayer" for even more success. Aniplex President, Atsuhiro Iwakami, wants to make the series a centerpiece of Aniplex's prowess. It's already made the manga into a blockbuster anime, and will now follow with a movie version hitting theaters this summer. Sony's units will also turn the anime into games for mobile and PlayStation 4, with the ability to promote it overseas.
Anime units have gotten very competitive by focusing on strengths, with Animax highlighting what he calls the 4 Bones: On Air, On Demand, Ground, and Original Production. This strategy aims to maximize the value of intellectual property and increase average revenue per user. The main focus is on original production, with the company merging different teams in July to build that capacity. Click to expand... Click to shrink...QuoteAniplex acquired a stake in French streaming service provider Wakanim in 2015 and purchased Australian distribution company Madman Anime Group in 2017. Sony Pictures Television Networks, a US unit, purchased Funimation in the same year. Aniplex and SPT announced in September 2019 that they would merge the three companies and manage them as part of a joint venture in a face-to-face challenge with Disney and Netflix.
As part of a drastic organizational change slated for April 2021, Sony will be called Sony Group, with all units under one roof. This is intended to facilitate the development of individual businesses for the greater good. The anime should be the test case for whether the new approach works.
A strategy for the anime sector is already unfolding. In July, Sony invested $ 250 million in Epic Games, the US operator of the online multiplayer game Fortnite. The game has since evolved into a multimedia platform, with live music events built into the game. Click to expand... Click to shrink...
Link for further reading here: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Me...out-to-conquer-entertainment-world-with-anime
AT&T is looking to sell anime streaming service Crunchyroll to Sony for $1.5 billion.
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) August 12, 2020
The deal would add Crunchyroll to Sony's growing anime empire which includes Funimation and Aniplex (FGO).
Sony also recently took a stake in Bilibili.https://t.co/jqTmnWvMp0