Sony announced on December 19, 2025 that it will acquire a 41% stake in Peanuts Holdings from Canadian media company WildBrain for $457 million, giving the group effective control of the brand.
The deal adds to Sony Music Entertainment Japan’s existing 39% ownership, while the Schulz family will keep the remaining 20% of the company. Once regulators sign off, Peanuts Holdings will become a consolidated subsidiary of Sony and be operated by SMEJ in Japan with management support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
“Since 2018, SMEJ has been proud to be part of the partnership behind ‘Peanuts’, an iconic global entertainment brand with a 75-year legacy of delighting audiences worldwide. With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the ‘Peanuts’ brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise.”
The characters – from Peanuts staples like Snoopy and Charlie Brown to the wider cast – remain globally recognized merchandising and media properties, especially in Japan and other parts of Asia. Sony’s purchase follows reporting on the transaction by Variety. The company has a long history of strategic media purchases, some of which have underperformed against expectations in the years after acquisition. See Sony’s Bungie acquisition for one recent example.
The transaction will require regulatory approval and typical closing steps before ownership fully changes hands. For now, Sony will add Peanuts’ IP and merchandising potential to its portfolio while the Schulz family keeps a minority stake.
You can follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram for updates on this and other industry moves.
