Sony Compares Anime Business Growth to PlayStation’s PS1 Era

Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie Infinity Castle (Credit: Sony)

Sony is steadily expanding its presence in the anime industry, with company executives now comparing its current position to the PlayStation’s PS1 era.

In an interview with Japanese outlet Toyo Keizai (translated by Automaton), Sony’s Chief Strategy Officer Toshimoto Mitomo, who oversees global IP development, explained that the anime division is "in a phase roughly equivalent to the period between the launch of the PS1 and PS2." This comparison hints at Sony’s belief that its anime business is entering a period of rapid growth, much like PlayStation did after its debut in the mid-1990s.

Over the past few years, Sony has made a series of significant moves to strengthen its anime production and distribution capabilities. In August 2021, the company completed a $1.175 billion acquisition of Crunchyroll, one of the largest anime-streaming platforms in the US. Then, in late 2024, Sony increased its stake in Kadokawa, the owner of FromSoftware, with plans to co-produce anime, expand global distribution, and adapt its franchises into live-action films and TV dramas. The acquisition wasn’t aimed at gaming content like Bloodborne 2, but rather at deepening Sony’s anime footprint.

More recently, in July 2025, Sony acquired a 2.5% stake in Bandai Namco Holdings for approximately $464 million. As per the companies’ joint statement, the deal aims to expand the global fan community for anime and manga IPs and strengthen engagement in the rapidly growing anime sector.

Sony’s recent success in the field is already showing. Last month, its anime production company Aniplex released Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle in Japan, which grossed around $120 million, becoming the tenth highest-grossing film in the country’s history.

Mitomo’s comments suggest Sony sees anime as a "cornerstone" of its entertainment business alongside gaming and music. While its live-service gaming strategy has faced setbacks, with cancellations and underperforming titles, the anime side seems to be on an upward trajectory. Much like how the PS1 laid the groundwork for the record-breaking PS2, Sony appears confident that its current investments will set the stage for an anime boom in the coming years.