Creating a Community of Interest through Direct-to-Consumer and Content IP
First written in FY2018. 15 of 19 entries say "Advanced", first in FY2019. Latest entry: 2026-07-31.
1 other company's latest entry also says "Advanced".
- 2026-07-31AdvancedEarnings presentation
「 Crunchyroll has continued to grow its subscriber base from more than 21 million at the end of March 2026, and its FY26 1Q results also expanded year on year.」
The company reported quarterly expansion in Crunchyroll’s subscriber base and results. - FY2026-H1AdvancedAnnual report
「(+) Impact of higher revenue at Crunchyroll from growth in paid subscribers and global distribution* of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle Part 1: Akaza Returns, among other factors」
As part of strengthening DTC and content IP, growth in Crunchyroll's paid subscribers and global distribution of titles contributed to higher profit in the film business. - FY2025AdvancedAnnual report
「As of 31 March 2025, paid subscribers had grown to more than 17 million. To acquire additional subscribers, Sony is promoting integration with PlayStation Network (hereinafter, “PSN”). Registration for Crunchyroll's paid service from PS5 has been streamlined, and Sony will strengthen Crunchyroll's service by leveraging PSN's monetization capabilities going forward.」
As part of expanding user engagement through DTC and content IP, Crunchyroll's paid subscribers exceeded 17 million, and concrete integration with PSN for registration and monetization was established. - FY2025-H1AdvancedAnnual report
「Revenue increased by ¥210.5 billion year on year to ¥1.9364 trillion. This substantial increase was mainly due to the impact of foreign exchange, higher sales of game software developed by third parties, including add-on content, and higher revenue from network services centered on PlayStation®Plus, despite lower hardware revenue due to a decline in unit sales.」
Higher revenue from network services centered on PS Plus and digital add-on content offset the decline in hardware unit sales and drove revenue growth in G&NS. - FY2024AdvancedAnnual report
「Sony has invested approximately ¥1.5 trillion over the 6 years since its acquisition of EMI in 2018 to strengthen content creation. In 2021, it acquired Crunchyroll, an anime-focused Direct-to-Consumer service, with the aim of contributing to the anime creator community.」
Sony quantified its investment in content IP at approximately ¥1.5 trillion over the 6 years since the EMI acquisition. With a base of more than 13 million paid subscribers, Crunchyroll is advancing the creation, development and IP360 expansion of IP. - FY2024-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「The increase in revenue on a U.S.-dollar basis was mainly due to higher theatrical revenue, an increase in the number of titles delivered in television production, and higher revenue from Crunchyroll resulting from growth in paid subscribers.」
Crunchyroll's revenue increased as paid subscriptions grew, advancing user engagement through the DTC service and monetization of content IP. - FY2023AdvancedAnnual report
「Approximately ¥1 trillion was invested in content IP over the past 5 years.」
Specific initiatives to expand the Community of Interest through DTC and content IP included approximately ¥1 trillion invested in content IP over the past 5 years, the use of Crunchyroll viewing data, and adaptations of game IP for film and television. - FY2023-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「The decline in revenue was partially offset by higher television licensing revenue from films released in the previous fiscal year and higher home entertainment sales, the impact of acquisitions including Industrial Media and Bad Wolf in television production, and increased revenue from the anime-focused DTC service, including the impact of the Crunchyroll acquisition.」
Higher revenue from the anime-focused DTC service, including the impact of the Crunchyroll acquisition, partially offset the decline in the film business caused by the comparison with major releases in the previous fiscal year. - FY2023-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「Crunchyroll is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) service connecting with anime and manga fans in more than 200 countries and regions, offering subscription video-on-demand, advertising-based video-on-demand, mobile games, manga, events, character merchandise and distribution services. Through this acquisition, Sony became able to provide fan-focused services more broadly by connecting the two anime-streaming brands, Funimation and Crunchyroll. The two brands and services have been integrated globally into Crunchyroll since March 2022.」
The integration of Crunchyroll and Funimation began globally in March 2022, expanding the anime DTC service's reach to more than 200 countries and regions. - FY2023-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「This substantial increase in revenue on a U.S.-dollar basis was mainly due to an increase in the number of titles delivered in television production, higher television licensing revenue from films released in the previous fiscal year and higher home entertainment sales, as well as increased revenue from the anime-focused DTC service, including the impact of the Crunchyroll acquisition, and the impact of the Industrial Media acquisition.」
As part of strengthening DTC and content IP, growth in the anime-focused DTC service, including the impact of the Crunchyroll acquisition, contributed to growth in the film business. - FY2022-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「Crunchyroll is a DTC (Direct to Consumer) service connecting with anime and manga fans in more than 200 countries and regions, offering subscription video on demand, advertising-supported video on demand, mobile games, manga, events, character merchandise and distribution services. Through this acquisition, Sony will be able to provide fan-focused services to a broader audience by bringing together the Funimation and Crunchyroll anime streaming brands.」
The acquisition of 100% of Crunchyroll was completed, demonstrating the concrete rollout of a plan to integrate the DTC service reaching more than 200 countries and regions with Funimation. - FY2021RaisedAnnual report
「Sony said it would accelerate initiatives and investments, particularly in the mobile and social fields, to expand the number of people worldwide who connect directly with Sony Group for entertainment from approximately 160 million to 1 billion.」
The target for expanding the Community of Interest through DTC and content IP was raised to expanding the number of people with a direct connection from approximately 160 million to 1 billion. - FY2021-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「This substantial revenue growth was driven mainly by higher revenue from game software, including add-on content, reflecting increased digital consumption amid the spread of COVID-19, and higher hardware revenue accompanying the launch of PlayStation®5 (hereinafter, “PS5™”), despite lower revenue from PlayStation®4 (hereinafter, “PS4®”) hardware. Operating income increased by ¥116.9 billion year on year to ¥309.2 billion, mainly reflecting higher revenue from the aforementioned game software and network services centered on PlayStation®Plus, despite higher costs.」
Higher revenue from digital software, add-on content and network services related to the DTC base drove revenue and operating income growth in the G&NS business. - FY2021-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「This substantial revenue growth was driven mainly by higher sales of game software, including add-on content, and PlayStation®Plus (hereinafter, “PS Plus”), reflecting increased digital consumption amid the spread of COVID-19, despite lower revenue from PlayStation®4 hardware.」
For the foundation of DTC services and content, higher revenue from internally developed software, add-on content and PS Plus drove revenue growth in G&NS. - FY2021-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Revenue from game software downloads and the number of subscribers to PS Plus and PlayStation™Now increased substantially.」
Even amid the spread of COVID-19, downloads and subscriptions to PS Plus and PlayStation Now increased, maintaining and expanding the foundation of DTC services. - FY2020AdvancedAnnual report
「As of the end of December 2019, the monthly active users of PSN exceeded 103 million accounts. As of the same date, cumulative global sell-in of PS4 exceeded 106 million units, while cumulative sell-through of software titles for PS4 developed by software publishers and SIE Worldwide Studios exceeded 1.181 billion units.」
PSN, the foundation of DTC services, had more than 103 million monthly active users, while cumulative PS4 sell-through exceeded 106 million units, demonstrating the scale of the community created. - FY2020-Q1RestatedAnnual report
「Revenue decreased by ¥14.6 billion year on year to ¥457.5 billion. This decrease was mainly due to the significant contribution from internally developed game software in the same quarter of the previous year, the impact of foreign exchange, and lower sales of game software developed by third parties, despite higher revenue from PlayStation 4 (hereinafter, “PS4®”) hardware and network services, including PlayStation Plus (hereinafter, “PS Plus”).」
Although total G&NS revenue declined, revenue from network services, including PS Plus, increased, providing an ongoing revenue base for DTC services. - FY2019AdvancedAnnual report
「Strengthening DTC services ・ Growth of the PlayStation™Network (hereinafter, “PSN”), which drove growth in the G&NS business, which recorded the highest revenue and operating income in its history as a single Sony segment」
The results of strengthening DTC services were demonstrated by PSN driving record-high revenue and operating income in the G&NS business. - FY2018First statedAnnual report
「Sony will strengthen Direct to Consumer services that are close to users and content IP that is close to creators, creating a Community of Interest, a community of people who share common emotional experiences and interests.」
As a core strategy under the Third Mid-Range Plan, Sony presented for the first time, as a standalone initiative, its policy of strengthening Direct to Consumer services and content IP close to creators and creating communities with shared interests.