Overview
- Sony has declared anime a core, multi‑decade growth pillar and is shifting from hardware toward owning and growing intellectual property through production and rights control.
- Aniplex and Crunchyroll formed a new studio called Hayate to create original global anime as part of an effort to seed new long‑running franchises.
- Sony expanded its upstream control with a major stake in Kadokawa in 2025 and increased ownership of Peanuts Holdings to 80 percent to secure family‑friendly characters.
- The company plans to convert successful anime into games on PlayStation, soundtracks and concerts via Sony Music, and merchandise and live events through its wider businesses.
- Sony acknowledges Japan’s tight animator supply and longer production lead times and is investing in training and local infrastructure while saying AI should assist rather than replace creators.