• Sony Corporation is planning to bid against private equity firms Blackstone and KKR for the acquisition of Crunchyroll, a popular manga and anime streaming service, in a deal valued at around US$1.3 billion. This move is part of Sony's strategy to expand its content and streaming capabilities in the anime and manga entertainment sector, which has seen a surge in popularity globally.

• Crunchyroll, which is currently owned by AT&T's WarnerMedia division, has over 3 million subscribers and offers a vast library of anime and manga content to viewers in more than 200 countries. The acquisition of Crunchyroll would strengthen Sony's position in the anime and manga market, complementing its existing portfolio of anime-related businesses, including Funimation, which it acquired in 2017.

• The potential acquisition of Crunchyroll by Sony is seen as a strategic move to bolster its content offerings and compete more effectively in the rapidly growing global anime and manga streaming market. This deal would also enable Sony to leverage Crunchyroll's extensive user base and distribution network to further expand its reach in the anime and manga entertainment industry.