
TOKYO: Sony Group Corp. said Thursday it will become the top shareholder in major Japanese publisher Kadokawa Corp. under a capital and business tie-up deal.
On Jan. 17, Sony will acquire Kadokawa shares worth some 50 billion yen through a third-party new share allotment. As a result, the technology and entertainment giant’s equity stake in the publisher will increase from the current level of around 2 pct to approximately 10 pct, it said.
In addition to enhancing the capital tie-up, Sony will send an executive to Kadokawa to beef up the two firms’ business alliance.
Specifically, Sony hopes to capitalize on a number of quality intellectual properties held by the publisher, including “Re: Zero–Starting Life in Another World,” originally a novel series, and “Delicious in Dungeon,” a manga series.
Under the strategic tie-up deal, the two companies intend to jointly invest in global entertainment content, discover fresh creators, and promote further media mixes of their intellectual properties, Sony said.
The company also said specific collaboration initiatives to be discussed in the future include globally adapting Kadokawa properties into live-action films and television dramas, coproducing anime works, distributing Kadokawa’s anime works across the globe via the Sony group, and further expanding publishing of Kadokawa’s games.
JIJI Press