Latest news with #SonyGroupCorp
The Mainichi
5 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Sony to take stake in Bandai Namco in anime business partnership
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Sony Group Corp. will take a 2.5 percent stake in major Japanese toymaker Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for 68 billion yen ($464 million) as they joined hands in the anime business, the two companies said Thursday. The Japanese tech conglomerate plans to expand anime works and products based on intellectual property copyrighted by Bandai Namco through the partnership. Bandai Namco, known for the popular anime franchise Mobile Suit Gundam, will be able to use Sony's expertise in the production and distribution of anime and other video content, they said in a release. "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," Sony Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo said in the release. The two companies are also considering cooperating in other areas, such as experiential entertainment technology and related services.
Japan Today
5 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Sony to take stake in Bandai Namco in anime business partnership
Sony Group Corp. will take a 2.5 percent stake in major Japanese toymaker Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for 68 billion yen ($464 million) as they joined hands in the anime business, the two companies said Thursday. The Japanese tech conglomerate plans to expand anime works and products based on intellectual property copyrighted by Bandai Namco through the partnership. Bandai Namco, known for the popular anime franchise Mobile Suit Gundam, will be able to use Sony's expertise in the production and distribution of anime and other video content, they said in a release. "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," Sony Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo said in the release. The two companies are also considering cooperating in other areas, such as experiential entertainment technology and related services. © KYODO
The Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Sony's bet on sports pays off with AI line judges at Wimbledon
The Grand Slam tennis championship, which opens on June 30, will fully adopt electronic line calling courtesy of Sony Group Corp's subsidiary Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. — Photo: Sony Group Human line judges dressed in crisp striped shirts and white bottoms will be absent from Wimbledon this year. Instead, 12 cameras will stand courtside to call whether the ball lands in or out. The Grand Slam tennis championship, which opens on June 30, will fully adopt electronic line calling courtesy of Sony Group Corp's subsidiary Hawk-Eye Innovations Ltd. The Basingstoke, England-based company uses artificial intelligence to pinpoint a ball's trajectory to supply gameplay analysis and refereeing across 25 sports including baseball and soccer. Demand is strong due in part to growing pressure to shorten matches and keep spectators engaged, according to Sony's Sports Entertainment Business head Fumiatsu Hirai. Another factor is a shortage in referees since the pandemic, which spurred a flurry of resignations, he said. Human referees also now face far more ire – even death threats – as online bullying and sports gambling become commonplace. "Calls for automation are only growing stronger,' Hirai said. The Wimbledon contract is a win for Sony's yearslong push to beef up its entertainment offerings with acquisitions of sports technology companies. The Tokyo-based company is eager for further deals to expand its portfolio in sports-related tech, Hirai said. "If there is anything attractive, we'd want to do it,' he said on the possibility of further acquisitions, without elaborating. In 2011, Sony bought Hawk-Eye, a company that was founded in 2001 by scientists researching rocket trajectories. Its line calling system – which draws from camera data to instantly determine where the ball lands and the position of a player's feet during serves – is already used at the Australian Open and the US Open, and Wimbledon has previously used the company's tech to support judges and umpires. Hawk-Eye's system is also expected to supply virtual measurements of offensive line advances to the National Football League this year. Sony's sports division – which had sales of under 20bil yen (RM 585.68 mil) in the business year ended March 2022 – is a tiny part of Sony's business portfolio, which generates annual sales around 13 trillion yen (RM 380.69bil) from operations ranging from gaming and music to films and semiconductors. But business is growing steadily, surpassing the division's targeted annual growth rate of 17% in the five years through March 2027, according to Hirai, who declined to elaborate further. Following the Hawk-Eye acquisition, Sony bought data analysis company Beyond Sports in 2022 to offer more immersive sports entertainment. In 2024, it acquired KinaTrax Inc, which uses motion capture technology to provide biomechanical performance data to athletes. The global sports market is projected to grow to around US$651bil (RM 2.75 trillion) by 2028, up more than 30% compared with 2023, according to Dublin-based industry forecast company Research and Markets. Teams are tapping biometric data to improve athletes' physical and mental conditions. Hawk-Eye, which also provides interactive sports broadcasting through its Pulselive unit, now leads in the sports technology field, according to Mitsuru Tanaka, an associate professor at Shobi University. That leadership was demonstrated with Major League Baseball's decision a few years ago to switch from Danish company TrackMan's radar-based system to Hawk-Eye's for ball and player tracking, he said. But the pace of innovation and the low barriers to entry pose risks, Tanaka said. "The risk remains of Hawk-Eye losing its edge in the market with the emergence of superior technology,' he said. – Bloomberg
The Mainichi
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Sony's financial arm aims to launch overseas businesses after listing
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The top executive of the financial unit of Sony Group Corp. said Thursday that it aims to launch overseas operations after it is spun off from the parent company and listed on the Tokyo stock market later this year. Toshihide Endo, CEO of Sony Financial Group Inc., said the company will focus on "honing our business model at home "through March 2027, adding that expanding its business abroad is "on the menu as an excellent strategy for the mid-term." Sony Financial has no overseas operations at present, a spokesperson said. Endo was speaking at a meeting with the media and investors as his company prepares to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's top-tier Prime Market on Sept. 29. The plan will allow the parent company to better focus on its entertainment businesses -- especially games, music and movies -- that have grown to account for more than 60 percent of the conglomerate's total sales. "Financial services will remain an integral part of our group even after it is spun off, and (Sony Group) will continue to support its growth," Sony Group CEO Hiroki Totoki said at the meeting. Sony Group's stake in the wholly owned unit will fall to below 20 percent after the financial unit goes public. Sony Financial said it will list on the TSE without an initial public offering -- the first of its kind in Japan since 2000. During the press conference, the unit said it plans to buy back its own shares worth up to 100 billion yen ($688 million) from its listing through the end of March 2027. Sony Financial was previously listed on the Tokyo market, but the parent company made it a wholly owned subsidiary in 2020 to speed up decision-making.
UPI
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
In photos: Crunchyroll Anime Awards: stars light up the orange carpet
Crunchyroll CEO Rahul Purini (L) and Sony Group Corp president and CEO Hiroki Totokii attend the orange carpet event for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 in Tokyo, Japan, on May 25, 2025. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI
