Consolidation in animation
Social analysis flagged Sony/Aniplex's active studio buys—purchasing stakes and full studios—and noted Paramount is reorganising Nickelodeon Animation under CBS after the Skydance deal. These moves point to larger media companies buying production capacity and IP control rather than relying on committee production models. (x.com/Sage2612/status/2043384399509823731, x.com/i/status/2042835180629692680)
Big media companies are moving animation work in-house, with Sony-linked Aniplex buying studio capacity and Paramount shifting Nickelodeon Animation under CBS Studios. (news.aniplex.co.jp) (mediaplaynews.com) On April 3, 2026, HAYATE said it would buy all shares of the anime studio Lay-duce and make it a wholly owned subsidiary. HAYATE said it was founded in February 2025 as an anime production company jointly funded by Aniplex and Crunchyroll. (news.aniplex.co.jp) HAYATE said Lay-duce, founded in August 2013, worked on Aniplex-planned titles including “Fanfare of Adolescence” and “Magi: Adventure of Sinbad.” It said the purchase would let HAYATE “more stably” advance anime production for global fans, with overseas distribution centered on Crunchyroll’s streaming service. (news.aniplex.co.jp) Sony has been building that structure above the studio level too. On December 19, 2024, Sony said it would spend about 50 billion yen for 12,054,100 new Kadokawa shares, taking its stake to about 10% and making Sony Kadokawa’s largest shareholder. (sony.com) Sony said that Kadokawa deal would deepen joint work on anime co-productions, global distribution through Sony Group, and broader “media mix” use of intellectual property across formats. In its May 14, 2025 strategy presentation, Sony also said anime was one of the growth areas central to its “Creative Entertainment Vision.” (sony.com 1) (sony.com 2) That strategy ties together ownership of stories, production teams and distribution. Sony’s 2025 corporate report said the company was pursuing initiatives from intellectual property creation to cultivation and extension, and its April 2025 investor presentation on Crunchyroll outlined the service’s business strategy under Sony. (sony.com 1) (sony.com 2) Paramount is making a parallel change on the United States side after its merger with Skydance closed on August 7, 2025. Paramount and Skydance said the combined company would use strategic investments and streamlining to reshape content creation and storytelling. (paramount.com) (sec.gov) On April 10, 2026, Media Play News reported that Nickelodeon Animation Studios had been moved under the CBS Studios business unit, with George Cheeks naming former CBS Studios executive vice president Alec Botnick president of Nickelodeon Animation Studios. Ashley Kaplan moved into a consultant role, according to the report. (mediaplaynews.com) Paramount Skydance also disclosed this month that, beginning in 2026, it shifted to three reporting segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer and Television Media. The filing said the new Studios segment combines the old filmed entertainment business with the old Television Media studio operations. (publicnow.com) The result is a simpler chain of control: own more of the underlying rights, own more of the production pipeline, and route more finished shows through company-run distribution. Sony is doing that around anime, and Paramount Skydance is doing it inside a newly merged television structure. (sony.com) (news.aniplex.co.jp) (publicnow.com)
