Sony Buys Majority Stake in "Peanuts" for $457 Million

Sony is buying a 41% stake in Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts and its characters — including Snoopy and Charlie Brown — from Canada’s WildBrain in a $457 million deal, according to the two companies, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Sony’s music and movie divisions have signed a definitive agreement to purchase WildBrain’s remaining shares for 630 million Canadian dollars ($457 million). (Illustration: Snoopy Facebook)

The acquisition adds to Sony’s existing 39% stake, bringing its total ownership to 80%, according to a joint statement. The Schulz family will retain the remaining 20%.

“With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to elevate the value of the Peanuts brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise,” said Sony Music Entertainment President Shunsuke Muramatsu.

Peanuts debuted on Oct. 2, 1950, in seven newspapers.

The adventures of the “little round-headed kid” Charlie Brown and his friends — including Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Snoopy — eventually expanded to more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries.

Enduring images from the strip include kites stuck in trees, Charlie Brown’s futile attempts to kick a football, Lucy dispensing advice for a nickel and Snoopy’s flights of fancy.

Phrases such as “security blanket,” “good grief” and “happiness is a warm puppy” have entered the global vernacular. Schulz died in 2000.

Sony acquired its initial stake in Peanuts Holdings LLC in 2018 from Toronto-based WildBrain Ltd. In this latest transaction, Sony’s music and movie divisions signed a definitive agreement to purchase WildBrain’s remaining shares for 630 million Canadian dollars ($457 million).