Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. (hereinafter, Bandai Namco) and Sony Group Corporation (hereinafter, Sony) announced that they have formed a strategic partnership on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Going forward, both companies plan to leverage their respective strengths to maximize IP value.
Bandai Namco × Sony Form Partnership! Towards Further Development of the Entertainment Industry
ソニーグループ株式会社 | バンダイナムコとソニー、戦略的なパートナーシップを締結https://t.co/ua3gG9D7Fs
— Sony - Japan (@SonyGroup_JP) July 24, 2025
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Bandai Namco and Sony formed a strategic partnership.
To this end, Sony acquired 16 million shares of Bandai Namco stock held by existing shareholders for approximately 68 billion yen, holding approximately 2.5% of Bandai Namco's total shares.
The purpose of this partnership is to "[promote] collaboration aimed at strengthening engagement among anime and manga fans and creating new and emotionally moving experiences."
By combining the strengths of both companies, which are top-level entertainment companies in Japan, they plan to cooperate in various areas, including joint development of anime and manga, as well as leveraging Sony's dissemination capabilities to expand Bandai Namco's IPs.
Further details regarding this partnership can be found on the Sony Official Website.
Comment from Nobuhiko Momoi, Representative Director and Executive Vice President, Bandai Namco
The Bandai Namco Group promotes an "IP axis strategy" that aims to maximize IP value by leveraging the appeal and worldview of IP, providing the optimal products and services at the optimal timing in the optimal regions. We are filled with excitement about the potential to create new entertainment by combining Sony Group's strengths and technological capabilities across various entertainment fields with Bandai Namco's IP axis strategy. Through this collaboration, we aim to connect with IP fans worldwide, co-create the future together, and realize our Purpose, "Fun for All into the Future," and Mid- to Long-term Vision, "Connect with Fans.”
SONY News Release
Comment from Toshimoto Mitomo, Representative Corporate Executive Officer and CSO, Sony
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. By combining the strengths of both companies in the field of entertainment and unlocking the potential of compelling IP, we will further accelerate our efforts to maximize IP value and realize Sony's long-term vision, "Creative Entertainment Vision".
SONY News Release
