Plaion Pictures invests in anime content boom by buying Scotland’s Anime Ltd

German distributor Plaion Pictures is looking to increase its presence in the lucrative market for Japanese animation by buying Scottish company Anime Ltd.

Stefan Kapelari

Based in Munich, Plaion – formerly known as Koch Films – has purchased 100% of Anime Ltd’s shares.

Headquartered in Glasgow with offices in France, Anime Ltd recently signed a deal with ITV to provide episodes of the Japanese sci-fi carton Cowboy Bebop for the UK pubcaster’s upcoming new streaming platform, ITVX.

“I look forward to being able to unfold our full potential to make Japanese pop culture even more popular in Europe and the world,” said Cedric Littardi, co-founder of Anime Ltd.

The move is part of Plaion’s strategy to invest in the anime content market, which has grown significantly in the last few years.

Industry experts claim that the global anime market size could reach US$56bn by 2030. Data indicates that worldwide demand for anime content grew 118% in the last two years, making it one of the fastest growing content genres since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Anime has been around for decades in Japan and established a foothold in Western culture with the cinematic release of titles such as 1988’s Akira and 1995’s Ghost in the Shell.

More recently, the rise of streaming platforms has provided a new home for anime series. Netflix said more than 100 million households around the world watched at least one anime title in 2020 – a 50% increase from the previous year.

This surge in popularity has led to deals such as AMC Networks’s January purchase of Sentai Holdings, which owned anime-themed streamer HIDIVE, plus Sony Pictures Entertainment’s 2021 acquisition of free-to-view anime streamer Crunchy Roll for US$1.2bn.

“Joining forces with Anime Ltd strengthens our position as a key player in the marketing and distribution of Japanese pop art content,” said Stefan Kapelari, CEO of Plaion Pictures.