Sony units said in December 2025 they had agreed to buy WildBrain's roughly 41% stake in Peanuts Holdings for 630 million Canadian dollars

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, from public records. Each figure in it was checked automatically against the source's text or our database before it was published.

Sony announced on Dec 19, 2025 that its wholly owned subsidiaries Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) and Sony Pictures Entertainment had signed a definitive agreement with WildBrain, a publicly listed Canadian company. They agreed to buy all of the roughly 41% equity interest that WildBrain held indirectly in Peanuts Holdings LLC, for a total purchase price of 630 million Canadian dollars (about 460 million US dollars), subject to customary working capital and other adjustments. The US dollar figure is Sony's reference conversion at 0.73 US dollars to the Canadian dollar. Sony made the announcement in a Form 6-K, the report a foreign company listed in the US files with the SEC, together with a joint press release from the Sony units and WildBrain.1^,2^,3^,4^,5^,6^,7

With the roughly 39% that Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) already held, the Sony units would indirectly own 80% of Peanuts Holdings, and the family of Charles M. Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, would keep the remaining 20%. Peanuts Holdings would become a consolidated subsidiary of Sony, which means its results would be included in Sony's accounts. The Sony Music unit would take the lead in managing it, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The ownership of the rights to Peanuts and the management of its business would continue to be handled by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Peanuts Holdings, the release says. The deal was subject to closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Sony said it expected to record a remeasurement gain as operating income on completion of the deal, based on the fair value of the roughly 39% stake its music unit already held, and that it was assessing the amount.8^,9^,10^,11^,12^,13

Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) described its Visual & Character business as planning, producing and making animation and game content, alongside licensing characters such as Peanuts. The unit had held an interest in Peanuts Holdings since 2018, and the release says it had focused on expanding the Peanuts business and strengthening the brand. Its president and group chief executive, Shunsuke Muramatsu, said the added stake would let the unit draw on the Sony Group's global network and expertise to raise the value of the brand.14^,15^,16^,17