Gadgets

Bandai Namco and Sony Announce Strategic Partnership to Boost Global Anime and Manga Engagement

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. and Sony Group Corporation have entered into a strategic business alliance aimed at expanding fan engagement around anime, manga, and related intellectual property (IP), both in Japan and worldwide.
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Sony and Bandai Namco begin collaboration in anime market / Photo: Melvin Chavez / Unsplash

As part of the partnership, Sony will acquire 16 mln shares of Bandai Namco for approximately 68 bn yen, giving it a 2.5% stake in the company. The collaboration seeks to leverage both companies’ strengths, Bandai Namco’s IP development and Sony’s global expertise in content production and distribution, to deliver new, emotionally resonant experiences to fans.

The alliance will focus on co-developing anime, games, and experiential entertainment, as well as supporting creators and investing in fan engagement technologies. Both companies plan to expand their work across merchandising, media, and immersive experiences rooted in Bandai Namco’s diverse IP portfolio.

Bandai Namco Executive VP Nobuhiko Momoi expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to “connect with IP fans worldwide,” while Sony’s Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo highlighted their shared goal of delivering «Kando»—deep emotional impact—through collaborative innovation.

This marks a deepening of the longstanding relationship between the two Japanese entertainment giants, with plans to co-create new forms of entertainment for global audiences.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that xAI, the artificial intelligence company owned by Elon Musk, has unveiled a new feature within its Grok chatbot platform: animated companion avatars.