On Wednesday, AMC Networks announced that it had acquired Sentai Holdings, LLC. The acquisition includes both Sentai Filmworks and the HIDIVE streaming service.
The deal also includes the acquisition of Sentai’s holdings of Japan’s Cool Japan Fund. The public-private fund was created with the aim of promoting various Japanese products and services overseas, creating a stronger demand for them.
In a statement following the acquisition, AMC Networks Interim CEO Matt Blank said, “This acquisition builds on AMC Networks’ already strong IP and franchises, and furthers our targeted streaming strategy of super-serving passionate audiences with content depth, curation and community. With the addition of Sentai, we see an even greater opportunity to build on AMC Networks’ position as the global leader in targeted streaming, as we continue to grow a sustainable and long-term profitable streaming business that will be transformational for our company.” Blank also stated that Sentai’s “seasoned team, strong content and direct-to-consumer offerings for fans around the world” made them a “key global player in anime.”
Sentai Filmworks' executive management team, which includes founder John Ledford, Chief Operations Officer Griffin Vance, and Chief Operating Officer Paul Clinkscales, will all remain with the company in senior roles.
Ledford said, “We are thrilled by AMC Networks’ acquisition and are excited to be a part of their growth strategy. This acquisition will not change Sentai’s mission to deliver the most exciting anime content to audiences around the world — it will expand it greatly and will give our content businesses more distribution, more partnerships, more scale and more reach. I could not be more pleased.”
Ledford established Sentai Filmworks in 2008, alongside Matt Greenfield and David Williams. In the years following Sentail has licensed a myriad of popular titles, including Clannad, Higurashi When They Cry, My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected, and many more.
Sentai established anime streaming service HIDIVE in 2017 following the discontinuation of Anime Network Online. The HIDIVE service carries licensed titles from Sentai and Section23, as well as series belonging to the defunct Anime Strike service.
Source: AMC Networks Press Release