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Sony ( SONY ) is an anime powerhouse

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Anime market expected to double by 2030

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Sony ( SONY ) does not have a general entertainment streaming

service

By Sam Nussey

TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) - Sony ( SONY ) sees its anime

streaming service Crunchyroll as a growth driver, the head of

its movies business said on Thursday, as the group looks to ride

the growth of anime outside Japan.

"Crunchyroll is going to be our primary growth driver at SPE

over next few years," Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) CEO Tony

Vinciquerra told a strategy briefing.

While the technology and entertainment conglomerate is known

for its movies, games and music businesses, Sony ( SONY ) is also an

anime powerhouse with Aniplex, which made the "Demon Slayer"

anime, and Crunchyroll, which has 13 million subscribers

globally.

The spread of the internet and streaming has made anime

accessible to a wider audience, with popular franchises

increasingly being targeted by global entertainment companies.

The anime market is expected to roughly double to $60

billion by 2030 with Crunchyroll moving to expand in Southeast

Asia and India through Amazon Channels, which allows users to

access streaming services through Amazon's ( AMZN ) interface.

Sony ( SONY ) does not have a general entertainment streaming service

and has argued that its status as an independent content

provider is a strength as technological change roils the

industry.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Sony ( SONY ) is interested

in acquiring the assets of U.S. media company Paramount Global ( PARAA )

, which could boost its roster of franchises.

"Our strategy is to have more IP, more product, more library

to sell," Vinciquerra said when asked about the investment

strategy of the business.

Sony ( SONY ) scrapped in January a planned merger with India's Zee

Entertainment that would have created a $10 billion

business.

"We are looking at some other options that may or may not

come to (the) fore," Vinciquerra said, without providing

details.