Aniplex anime business profile: Sony's anime, games, and music unit
Aniplex is one of the most influential anime companies, yet its standalone revenue is not public. Its parent Sony Music Entertainment Japan reports the segment that contains it.
Published: 2026-08-19. Updated: 2026-08-19.
Short answer: Aniplex Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company specializing in anime, games, music, and merchandise. It is 100% owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which is part of Sony Group Corporation. As of April 2025, Aniplex had capital of JPY 480 million, 300 employees, and was led by Representative Director Atsuhiro Iwakami. Its subsidiaries include animation studios A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, game company Lasengle, and overseas units Aniplex of America and Aniplex Shanghai. Aniplex does not publish standalone financial results; the closest public segment is Sony Group's Music segment, which generated JPY 1,842.6 billion in revenue and JPY 357.3 billion in operating income for the fiscal year ended March 2025.
What Aniplex is and who owns it
Aniplex Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was established in September 1995 and is 100% owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which is itself a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. As of April 2025, the company had capital of JPY 480 million and 300 employees, with Atsuhiro Iwakami serving as Representative Director.
Aniplex describes itself as a comprehensive entertainment company that plans and produces anime, games, music, and related content for global audiences. It is not a standalone listed company, so its financial results are consolidated into Sony Music Entertainment Japan and ultimately Sony Group's Music segment.
Aniplex's business lines and subsidiaries
Aniplex operates across multiple business lines. Anime production and distribution is the core, supported by game planning and development, marketing, licensing, film business, and overseas expansion. The company also runs the Aniplex Online e-commerce shop and stages events and theatrical exhibitions.
Key subsidiaries include A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, both animation production companies; Lasengle, which handles game planning, development, and operation centered on Fate/Grand Order; Aniplex of America, which handles anime business in North and South America and English-speaking markets; and Aniplex Shanghai, which handles licensing, merchandising, and IP development in China.
Where Aniplex appears in Sony's segment reporting
Aniplex's results are consolidated into Sony Music Entertainment Japan and reported within Sony Group's Music segment. For the fiscal year ended March 2025, the Music segment generated JPY 1,842.6 billion in revenue and JPY 357.3 billion in operating income, both record highs. Sony attributed the growth to streaming in Recorded Music and Music Publishing, the consolidation of eplus in Visual Media and Platform, and higher revenues from live events, merchandising, and licensing.
The Music segment includes Recorded Music, Music Publishing, and Visual Media and Platform. Anime sits primarily in Visual Media and Platform, but Sony does not disclose Aniplex-specific revenue or profit. The table below shows the Music segment result in context.
Sony Group Music segment results, fiscal year ended March 2025. Source: Sony Group FY2024 consolidated financial results presentation.| Measure | Fiscal year ended March 2025 | Year over year change |
|---|
| Music segment revenue | JPY 1,842.6B | +14% |
| Music segment operating income | JPY 357.3B | +18% |
| Visual Media and Platform driver | Anime, eplus, events, licensing | Higher anime business noted in forecast |
Reporting-scope note: Aniplex is not a separately reported segment. Its revenue is included in Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which rolls into Sony Group's Music segment. The JPY 1,842.6 billion figure is for the entire Music segment, not for Aniplex alone.
How Aniplex makes money
Aniplex's revenue model spans the anime value chain. It plans and produces anime, distributes films, sells streaming and broadcast rights, licenses merchandise, operates e-commerce, and publishes music and soundtracks. Game revenue, particularly from Fate/Grand Order through Lasengle, is also material.
The company benefits from Sony's global distribution infrastructure, including Crunchyroll for streaming and Sony Music for music rights. In 2026, Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced Hayate, a joint venture to plan, develop, and produce anime content for Crunchyroll worldwide.
Strategy and where Aniplex fits in anime
Aniplex's strategy is to own and exploit anime IP across multiple formats and territories. Rather than earning only production fees, it captures downstream value from streaming, games, merchandise, music, and events. This makes it structurally closer to Toei Animation or Bandai Namco than to a pure production studio.
Because Aniplex does not publish standalone financials, its exact size is not publicly known. The Sony Music segment numbers provide the boundary, and Aniplex is a meaningful part of Visual Media and Platform. For analysts, the key takeaway is that Aniplex is integrated into one of the world's largest entertainment conglomerates and operates as a rights owner, producer, and distributor rather than a contractor.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Aniplex?
Aniplex is 100% owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan, which is part of Sony Group Corporation.
Does Aniplex publish standalone revenue?
No. Aniplex is a private subsidiary and does not publish separate financial statements. Its results are included in Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Group's Music segment, which generated JPY 1,842.6 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ended March 2025.
What are Aniplex's main subsidiaries?
Aniplex owns animation studios A-1 Pictures and CloverWorks, game company Lasengle, Aniplex of America, and Aniplex Shanghai, among others.
What is Aniplex's relationship with Crunchyroll?
Aniplex and Crunchyroll, both part of the Sony ecosystem, announced a joint venture called Hayate in 2026 to plan, develop, and produce anime content for Crunchyroll's global audience.
Sources and methodology
- Company profile, Aniplex Online. Aniplex company profile as of April 2025, including capital, employees, president, ownership, and business description.
- FY2024 Consolidated Financial Results, Sony Group Corporation. Sony Group FY2024 results presentation, including Music segment revenue of JPY 1,842.6 billion and operating income of JPY 357.3 billion, published May 2025.
- Crunchyroll and Japan's Aniplex launch anime-focused joint venture, Hayate, C21Media. Report on the Hayate joint venture between Aniplex and Crunchyroll, published March 2026.