Sony clinches majority control of Peanuts in $457 million Snoopy deal

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) have announced a landmark agreement to acquire majority ownership of the globally recognised Peanuts franchise, home to characters such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Woodstock. The transaction, valued at approximately CAN $630 million (around $457 million), will give Sony effective control of the intellectual property through a combined stake of about 80 percent.

Under the deal, Sony will acquire a 41 percent interest from Canadian media company WildBrain, which has been the principal shareholder in the Peanuts business. Sony Music Entertainment Japan already holds close to a 39 percent stake, and together with Sony Pictures, the group will now emerge as the dominant owner of Peanuts Holdings LLC.

The remaining 20 percent will continue to be held by the family of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz. While ownership is changing hands, the day-to-day management and licensing of the franchise will remain with Peanuts Worldwide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Peanuts Holdings LLC.

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With the transaction, Peanuts Holdings and its operating arm will become consolidated subsidiaries of Sony Group, with Sony Music Entertainment Japan expected to take the lead on management in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Sony has signalled that the acquisition is part of a broader push to expand Peanuts as a global family entertainment brand. According to reports, the company plans to deepen the franchise’s presence across theatrical releases, streaming platforms, gaming and music. Animated features and holiday specials developed by Sony Pictures Animation are likely to form a key part of the strategy, alongside expanded partnerships with streaming platforms and a sharper focus on live events, concerts and brand collaborations.

The Peanuts franchise, created by Charles M. Schulz in 1950, is among the most influential and enduring works in comic history. At its peak, the strip ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching hundreds of millions of readers across dozens of countries and languages. Beyond its deceptively simple artwork, Peanuts became known for tackling complex themes such as anxiety, social inequality, resilience and identity.

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The characters’ popularity extended far beyond print, spawning celebrated television specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas and cementing Snoopy as a global pop culture icon. Schulz personally authored nearly 17,000 strips over his lifetime and received numerous honours, including the Reuben Award and the Congressional Gold Medal.

For Sony, the deal represents a strategic bet on the long-term value of evergreen intellectual property, as media companies increasingly seek to build multi-platform franchises with cross-generational appeal.