Rumors have been swirling that Sony was interested in purchasing KADOKAWA and while they did not buy the company, they planted a flag in their corporate land space. As of this morning, Sony purchased 10% of KADOKAWA’s shares, making them their biggest shareholder.
At just 10%, the shares were valued at ¥50 Billion (~$319 Million). The total number of new shares this equates to is 12,054,100. The move is being described as a strategic capital and business alliance. Sony had previously purchased shares in KADOKAWA and the number of shares reported includes those previously-purchased shares.
Part of this alliance will see Sony bring KADOKAWA’s IPs to live-action films and television globally. They are also interested in co-producing anime, assisting KADOKAWA with global distribution, expanding the publishing of their video games, and expanding virtual production.
KADOKAWA announced they plan to use ¥20 Billion to create, develop, and acquire new IPs. They plan to use the remaining month to enhance its global distribution.
As of now, no decision has been made by either company on whether or not a full sale of KADOKAWA to Sony is being seriously considered; however, both companies acknowledged the previous reports.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork
