Wha-wha-wha?
, a Japanese company best known for sponsoring many an anime (fansub watchers, it's one of those logos you always see during the "kono bangumi wa goran no suponsaa no teikyou de okurishimasu" bit) and for primarily being an advertising company, announced today that they've
launched a new subsidiary called Dentsu Entertainment USA.
But what is the company going to do here? For the most part it's going to handle Dentsu's interest in a variety of franchises, such as the
Deltora Quest anime-- which is based on a series of novels written by Australian author Emily Rodda; the books are published by Scholastic. Other franchises Dentsu will manage are Chub City (toys) and
Mameshiba (a character-based franchise). Here, have some Mameshiba:
Now, if you've been paying very close attention, you may remember that
word came out in January about a new project being developed by Dentsu, an anime and toy line called
Monsuno. This is probably also being set up to assist that project, since Dentsu specifically said they'd aim the franchise at Asia, Europe, and North America.
I also wonder: Dentsu was once invested in Geneon Entertainment, which if I recall caused some problems when a dying Geneon attempted to strike a deal for ADV to handle the sales and marketing; I believe there was a conflict between investors (Dentsu with Geneon, ADV with Sojitz), but that's only if memory serves.
On to more practical matters: I don't think we're going to see Dentsu pick up any of the anime that's usually marketed to us in North America, but it's entirely possible that it'll find a way to be involved in whatever may be the next Naruto-- or Pokemon. It'll be interesting to watch in the meantime.
Dentsu to Establish Dentsu Entertainment USA to Develop Original Content and Expand Global Licensing Sales
Dentsu Inc. (President & CEO: Tatsuyoshi Takashima; Head Office: Tokyo; Capital: 58,967.1 million yen), announced today that it has decided to establish a new company, Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc., to develop original content and expand sales of content-related licenses on a global basis. The new company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc., will be established in Santa Monica, California on April 16, 2010.
Dentsu Inc. had developed its animation and character-related entertainment business mainly within Japan, but just over two years ago the Company decided that it was time to consider how to best utilize its expertise in this business domain to both develop original animation and character-related content, and expand licensing for movies, toys and other merchandise on a global scale.
The special advance team set up within Dentsu America in January 2008 conducted a number of feasibility studies on the entertainment business which culminated in the conclusion that the establishment of a new content development company in the U.S. would not only maximize the synergy effect of the Group’s existing businesses, but would also be an extremely effective way of further enhancing the Group’s global capabilities.
The feasibility studies conducted by the advance team included management of the licenses for Chub City (toys) and Deltora Quest (animation), and these will be handled by Dentsu Entertainment USA. The new company will also handle the licensing for Mameshiba, original characters developed by Dentsu Inc. which have gained huge popularity in Japan. In addition, as the first step in the development of new original content, Dentsu Entertainment USA will form a strategic partnership with JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Head Office: California, U.S.A.; NASDAQ: JAKK), the third-largest toy manufacturer in North America, to jointly produce an animated TV series and a line of toys for boys based on the original property MONSUNO, set to launch in 2011 in North America, Europe and Asia, and develop a license marketing business. In addition, Dentsu Entertainment USA and JAKKS Pacific will form a joint venture in late April to manage the MONSUNO licensing business and expand it worldwide.
The impact of this transaction on Dentsu Inc.’s consolidated and non-consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011 is expected to be minimal.
Profile of Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc.
Company Name: Dentsu Entertainment USA, Inc.
Location: Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.
Capital: 358,000 U.S. dollars
Shareholding Ratio: Dentsu Inc. 100%
Date of Establishment: April 16, 2010
President & CEO: Yuma Sakata (currently Dentsu America)
Number of Employees: 4 (tentative)
Principal Business: (1) Develop global joint ventures with entertainment companies in North America
(2) Develop original animation, characters and other content
(3) Market licenses for proprietary content to companies in North America, Europe and Asia
@gia: Oh...then I edit this to reflect that revelation.