Sony is teaming up with Bandai Namco for a major investment in the future of anime, through a collaboration between the two companies and the new company Gaudiy. Sony and Bandai Namco will be ing Gaudiy as they develop new and innovative ways for fans of anime and manga to connect with one another.
Sony announced in a press release on May 8, 2025, that they and Bandai Namco would be working together to invest 10 Billion Yen (about $68.7 million USD) in Gaudiy. The intention of the partnership is for them to "create a new ecosystem in the entertainment industry by combining their strengths and assets to offer newer and more fun next-generation entertainment experiences to IP fans around the world." The focus is squarely on the anime and manga fandom, with the press release pointing out that anime dominates the list of the top-grossing media franchises globally.
Sony and Bandai Namco Bring Their Resources to Gaudiy's Side
The Companies Bring Decades of Experience to Bear
Sony, of course, has a rather large footprint in the anime arena already. Sony owns Crunchyroll, one of the premier anime content platforms outside of Japan, giving them an easy way to distribute and market anime projects. Sony intends to use this partnership to "produce, stream, and distribute" new anime series as part of a plan to increase engagement with fans and bring new IPs to the market. Interestingly, the press release argues that fans are key to ing and developing IP through -generated content and social media participation.
For Bandai Namco's part, this is the first step of a multi-year plan to fulfill its mantra of "Fun for all in the future" and better connect with fans. The company specifically describes a desire to connect with fans in a "360-degree" way, suggesting mutual participation and engagement with their IPs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, new technologies such as AI and the blockchain are being considered a major component of this partnership, working towards using these tools to help fans connect more easily and find the media that they'll enjoy the most.
What Will the Impact of This Partnership Be?
Sony and Bandai Namco Could Change Everything for the Industry
An undeniable key element to this partnership is Gaudiy's recent acquisition of the popular English-language anime fan site, MyAnimeList, where fans catalog what series they've seen or intend to see, rating anime which can then be used to recommend future anime suggestions. Making use of this massive font of valuable data is a central idea to the collaboration. While Gaudiy does have a focus on new technologies and finding ways to implement them, their ultimate goal is one of creating "fan nations," where s can be themselves and participate as they see fit.
With the of Sony and Bandai Namco, Gaudiy could indeed develop new ways to entertain and connect fans, which could revolutionize how anime is distributed and marketed. Gaudiy's new platform, using the valuable data from MyAnimeList, could very well redefine how fans find their next favorite anime, and that's something that's good for both producers and consumers.
