Sony bets on homegrown anime to fuel decades of future growth

Sony aims to capitalize on the growing anime industry to drive future growth, having successfully turned Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba into a global hit. The US$28 billion anime market is one of the fastest expanding genres of entertainment worldwide. By investing in and acquiring anime properties, Sony aims to create franchises that will endure for at least 50 to 100 years, as evidenced by hit series like Dragon Ball and One Piece.

To fuel this strategy, Sony has acquired streaming platform Crunchyroll, the world's largest anime streaming service, and formed a new studio, Hayate, dedicated to producing original anime content for global audiences. The company's drive for success in anime is spearheaded by Atsuhiro Iwakami, who has steered Aniplex and Crunchyroll's collaboration since their inception.

Iwakami's strategy involves combining the visual prowess of studios like ufotable with the widespread popularity of manga from Weekly Shonen Jump. The company has also made strategic investments, including becoming the largest shareholder in Kadokawa, a major manga and game publisher. By taking control of IP and leveraging its own production capabilities, Sony aims to capture a larger share of the economic upside from anime content, competing with streaming giants like Netflix and Disney.

In October, Sony showcased its commitment to anime at the Crunchyroll Anime Future Forum in New York, attracting thousands of industry professionals and fans who gathered to discuss the platform's future.