List of acquisitions by Sony

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Sony Group Corporation, commonly referred to as Sony (Japanese: ソニー・グループ株式会社, Sonī Gurūpu Kabushiki Kaisha) is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates. Through its history of acquisitions, Sony has pursued strategic efforts to expand and diversify its business across various fields such as digital media, entertainment and technology. As a result, Sony has broadened its presence in multiple industries, reinforcing its standing in the market.

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In 1988, Sony acquired CBS Records Group and CBS's 50% stake in CBS/Sony, marking its first major step into the music industry. Following the acquisition of Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989, Sony entered the film and television sectors. The acquisition of Psygnosis in 1993 played a key role in bolstering the launch of Sony's PlayStation video game console in 1994, which saw significant global adoption and signaled the company's shift to digital entertainment.

Established in 2001, Sony Ericsson was a joint venture between Sony Corporation and Ericsson, and in 2012, the acquisition of Ericsson's 50% stake made it the sole shareholder of the mobile phone business. Similarly, Sony BMG was created in 2004 as a joint venture between Sony Music Group and Bertelsmann Music Group, but became fully integrated in 2008 when the company acquired Bertelsmann's stake.

In 2012, Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Gaikai to enhance its PlayStation Network offerings and extend its reach into the realm of cloud gaming. That same year, Sony Music Group acquired a 30% stake in EMI Music Publishing and purchased the outstanding 70% stake in 2018, making it a wholly owned subsidiary. By acquiring Toshiba's image sensor business in 2015, Sony Semiconductor Solutions strengthened its foothold in imaging solutions.

The acquisition in 2020 of the remaining shares of Sony Financial Group, which were not already held, brought the company entirely under its control. In 2021, Aniplex and Sony Pictures Entertainment completed their acquisition of Crunchyroll, a prominent anime video on demand service. To grow its portfolio in the competitive video game industry, Sony Interactive Entertainment acquired Bungie in 2022.

Sony is known for acquiring over 160 companies, taking stakes in more than 80 others, and making over 20 divestments, although the actual total may be higher, as the company generally does not disclose most of its transactions unless revealed by the press. Furthermore, Sony has not uncovered the financial details of most of its acquisitions, stakes, and divestments.

Acquisitions

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Stakes

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Divestitures

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References

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