Sony Scoops up Snoopy and the Peanuts in $457M Deal

The Great Pumpkin isn’t involved, but it’s still a big day for the Peanuts crew. 

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) (SMEJ) is set to acquire WildBrain’s remaining 41% stake in Peanuts Holdings LLC, the holding entity for the beloved Peanuts IP, for CAN $630 million cash, or roughly $457 million. Coupled with SMEJ’s existing 39% stake, this acquisition will indirectly give Sony 80% ownership of the company, with the leftover 20% belonging to the family of Charles M. Schulz. The deal is currently awaiting approvals. 

Proceeds from the sale will allow WildBrain to pay off 100% of its debt, with an extra $40 million in surplus to invest in its digital content network, new technologies, and the growth of its other iconic franchises, such as Strawberry Shortcake and Teletubbies.

Under the agreement, WildBrain will remain a multi-year partner to the Peanuts, acting as the brand’s exclusive licensing agent for consumer products across Europe, the Middle East, China, and Asia Pacific as well as a creator and distributor for its own Peanuts content, thanks to its dedicated Peanuts production studio, founded in partnership with Apple TV. The management and rights to the IP will still fall under Peanuts Worldwide, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peanuts Holding LLC.   

Josh Scherba, President and CEO of WildBrain, said, “Sony has been an excellent partner on the Peanuts brand for many years, and we’re confident that Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang are in good hands… We’d like to thank Tim Erickson and the Peanuts Worldwide team, as well as the Schulz family, for their incredible collaboration on these endeavors. We look forward to working with them and the Sony team as valued partners to continue driving global growth for Peanuts in the years to come.”

For more information about the transaction and the road ahead, WildBrain’s hosted a live investor webcast, which is available to rewatch online.