Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures

What Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures does

Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures Inc. (株式会社博報堂DYミュージック＆ピクチャーズ) is a Japanese entertainment content production and distribution company established on October 1, 2003, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hakuhodo DY Holdings. Headquartered at Akasaka Biz Tower in Minato-ku, Tokyo, the company organizes its operations across six service lines: Animation Production & Distribution, Movie Production & Distribution, Game Products, VOD/TV Distribution, Blu-ray/DVD Sales, and event-driven promotion under its Showgate (ショウゲート) brand. Its content catalog includes anime series and films such as Goblin Slayer, Re:Zero, Princess Principal, and Knights & Magic, plus live-action films, Korean drama licensing, and mobile games derived from anime IPs.

The company's business model spans multiple monetization streams: one-time theatrical distribution licensing (via partners including Shochiku), subscription and transactional VOD licensing to platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Japan, ABEMA, Hulu, U-NEXT, and FOD, physical media wholesale (Toho, Pony Canyon, Happinet), and recurring licensing royalties from anime co-productions and game products. It also operates animap, a public-chain NFT marketplace launched in June 2022 for anime digital collectibles, and in January 2026 jointly launched FANFARE with parent Hakuhodo to drive global fandom expansion of Japanese entertainment content through five structured initiatives. Customers are split between B2B distribution partners (streaming platforms, theatrical distributors, retailers) and B2C end consumers reached through those channels; the company does not disclose revenue or employee counts beyond a stated 11–50 range.

Name

Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures

Legal name

株式会社博報堂DYミュージック＆ピクチャーズ

Website

https://hakuhodody-map.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures is a Tokyo-based Japanese entertainment content producer and distributor, wholly owned by Hakuhodo DY Holdings, producing and licensing anime (e.g., Goblin Slayer, Re:Zero), live-action films, games, and Korean drama across theatrical, VOD/streaming, BD/DVD, and NFT channels via its Showgate and animap brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Production & Distribution

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)

akta.pro primary industry

Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)

Keywords

• Anime production distribution
• Film production distribution
• Entertainment licensing
• Video on demand distribution
• Physical media sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Akasaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Production and Distribution: Produces and distributes anime, live-action films, and dramas. Engages in theatrical release, home video sales, and VOD licensing.
2. Anime Production: Produces anime series and films, often in collaboration with other studios and publishers.
3. Blu-ray/DVD Sales: Physical media sales of anime and film titles through BD/DVD releases.
4. VOD/TV Licensing: Licenses content to streaming platforms and TV broadcasters domestically and internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures is a Japanese entertainment content company that produces and distributes anime series, animated and live-action films, games, and related content. Its offerings span theatrical release, Blu-ray/DVD physical media, VOD/streaming and TV licensing, and digital fan engagement products including the animap NFT marketplace and the FANFARE global fandom service.

Product overview

Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures is an entertainment production and distribution company operating across multiple content formats. The company manages a unified portfolio of products organized by service category: Animation Production & Distribution, Movie Production & Distribution, Game Products, VOD/TV Distribution, and Blu-ray/DVD Sales. The company also operates animap, an NFT marketplace platform launched in 2022 for digital anime collectibles, and FANFARE, a global fandom expansion service launched in 2026. The product portfolio includes theatrical films (KEEPER, 氷血, シャドウワーク), animated features (君と花火と約束と), anime series (Goblin Slayer, Re:Zero), and game products. Distribution channels include theatrical release through Shochiku, streaming platforms, and physical media. The company was rebranded in 2021 with its current corporate identity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animation Production & Distribution Production and distribution of anime television series, films, and OVAs, including titles such as Goblin Slayer, Re:Zero, Princess Principal, and Knights & Magic, sold through licensing, theatrical release, and home video channels.
• Movie (Live-action) Production & Distribution Production and distribution of live-action films for theatrical release, with distribution handled through Shochiku and other theatrical distributors.
• Game Products

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hakuhodo (博報堂)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026Joint operation of FANFARE global team to support Japanese entertainment content fandom expansion worldwide. Combines Hakuhodo Group's knowledge and network to support anime, manga, film, music, and game content global expansion.
• COPUS JAPANminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 13 March 2023Licensing partnership for Korean drama content distribution. Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures handles domestic licensing sales for COPUS JAPAN's Korean drama portfolio including TV broadcasting rights and home video rights.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pony Canyon: Japanese entertainment company engaged in anime, music, and video distribution including physical media and digital licensing; matches Hakuhodo DY M&P's multi-format distribution model and is named as a distribution partner.
• VIZ Media: Distributor of Japanese anime and manga in North America with extensive licensing operations; comparable role as a Western-facing Japanese-IP commercialization platform.
• Aniplex: Sony Music's anime label producing and globally distributing titles like Demon Slayer and Fate series; directly comparable to Hakuhodo DY M&P's anime production and licensing franchise business.
• Toei Animation: One of Japan's largest anime production studios (Dragon Ball, One Piece); directly comparable in anime series production and global IP licensing economics.
• Shochiku Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese film distributor and producer; explicitly partners with Hakuhodo DY M&P on theatrical distribution of live-action and animated features including 'Kimi to Hanabi to Yakusoku to'.

Broad incumbents

• Crunchyroll (Sony): Global anime streaming platform and licensor; comparable as a major counterpart/licensing partner that aggregates anime IP for international audiences, competing for the same title libraries Hakuhodo DY M&P distributes.
• Kadokawa Corporation: Major Japanese media conglomerate spanning anime production (via subsidiaries), publishing, film, and games with global IP exploitation; comparable as a larger incumbent in overlapping anime IP and distribution verticals.
• Bandai Namco Filmworks (Sunrise): Anime production and distribution arm producing franchise titles like Gundam; overlaps with Hakuhodo DY M&P in co-production, licensing, and BD/DVD distribution of major anime IP.
• Toho Co., Ltd. Japan's leading film distributor and anime production group (Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen via TOHO animation); overlaps with Hakuhodo DY M&P in theatrical distribution and named as a BD/DVD distribution partner.

Emerging players

• King Records (King Amusement Creative): Japanese label and anime music/publishing arm producing and licensing anime franchise content; comparable in anime IP packaging, music tie-ins, and Blu-ray distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/showgate_inc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6klcAmXIQmfAiRVyqPO--Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/showgate.youga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hakuhodo DY Music & Pictures