Sony Group has $5.1 billion to spend on investments/acquisitions until 2024

[Bryank75]

Can you give us an update on the ¥2 trillion in the investment budget?

Hiroki Totoki: Yes. We spent almost ¥1.3 trillion by the end of last year. We have one more year.

Watch Sony Group's Morgan Stanley conference from 30:45 to hear it directly.
In 2021:

Sony Group said on Wednesday it will spend 2 trillion yen ($18.39 billion) over the next three years on strategic investments, including a push to expand subscribers to its gaming and entertainment services.

In 2022:

Sony has now revealed it has spent 850 billion yen (roughly $7.4 billion) of its allocated budget, leaving about $10 billion left for further purchases. Sony's current bill includes the substantial $3.6 billion buyout of Bungie, as well as billions in share buybacks.

Now in 2023, Sony has ¥700 trillion remaining for investments. This translates to around $5 billion USD.
Sony's investments since the $18.4 billion announcement include the following.

List of acquisitions by Sony - Wikipedia ​

16 June 2021	Somethin' Else	Music	UK		Sony Music Entertainment	[80]
29 June 2021	Housemarque	Video game	FIN		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[81]
1 July 2021	Nixxes Software	Video game	NED		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[82]
9 August 2021	Crunchyroll	Film, television, video on demand	USA	$1,175,000,000	Sony Pictures Entertainment/Aniplex	[83][84]
8 September 2021	Firesprite	Video game	UK		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[85]
29 September 2021	Fabrik Games	Video game	UK		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[85]
30 September 2021	Bluepoint Games	Video game	USA		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[86]
4 November 2021	Som Livre	Music	BRA	$255,000,000	Sony Music Entertainment	[87][88]
1 December 2021	Bad Wolf	Television	UK		Sony Pictures Entertainment	[89]
10 December 2021	Valkyrie Entertainment	Video game	USA		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[90]
20 January 2022	Ultra Records	Music	USA		Sony Music Entertainment	[91]
1 February 2022	Lasengle	Video game	JPN		Aniplex	[92]
3 March 2022	Industrial Media	Television	USA	$350,000,000	Sony Pictures Entertainment	[93]
21 March 2022	Haven Studios	Video game	CAN		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[94]
15 July 2022	Bungie	Video game	USA	$3,700,000,000	Sony Interactive Entertainment	[95][96]
18 July 2022	Repeat.gg	Esports	USA		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[97]
4 August 2022	Right Stuf	Film, television, e-commerce	USA		Sony Pictures Entertainment/Aniplex	[98]
29 August 2022	Savage Game Studios	Video game	GER		Sony Interactive Entertainment	[99]
25 October 2022	Pixomondo	Visual effects	USA		Sony Pictures Entertainment	[100]
7 November 2022	Beyond Sports	Software visualization	NED		Sony Electronics	[101]

Pending Acquisitions

22 September 2021

Zee Entertainment Enterprises

Film, television, video on demand

IND

$1,575,000,000

Sony Pictures Entertainment

[102]

Stakes

23 June 2021	Alamo Records	majority	Music	USA		[147]
18 October 2021	Scopely	minority	Video game	USA	$500,000,000	[148]
4 November 2021	Devolver Digital	5.03%	Video game	USA		[149]
9 November 2021	Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing	20%	Semiconductor	JPN	$500,000,000	[150]
19 January 2022	Ceremony of Roses	majority	Merchandising	USA		[151]
3 May 2022	AccelByte	minority	Video game	USA		[152]
31 August 2022	From Software	14.09%	Video game	JPN	$122,000,000	[153]
11 November 2022	Rapidus	minority	Semiconductor	JPN	$7,500,000	[154]

Some things are missing like Sony's $1 billion investment in Epic Games last year.

Via James Sawyer Ford on Neogaf.

 

[peter42O]

Well, there goes Take Two Interactive.

 

[Bryank75]

Well, there goes Take Two Interactive.

I'm sure if they felt they wanted / needed it, they would just issue debt or use more cash or whatever way they want to finance it.

This is simply what they budgeted a few years ago....

But, yeah...it's not enough for TT or even something like Capcom.

 

[Lord Mittens]

nice they can buy more support studios for PC

 

[peter42O]

I'm sure if they felt they wanted / needed it, they would just issue debt or use more cash or whatever way they want to finance it.

This is simply what they budgeted a few years ago....

But, yeah...it's not enough for TT or even something like Capcom.

Yeah, perhaps but doesn't Sony already have a high debt amount already? Either way, I don't see Sony acquiring a publisher at all because they're not going to spend the money, don't want to spend the money post close and due to their market share, they can just pay a small amount for timed/full exclusivity and/or exclusive content.

On a related note, my previous post was a jab at that rythian guy on Twitter because he's now claimed twice in the last two and a half years that Sony is acquiring Take Two Interactive and I have laughed both times. Wish I could fast forward time a few years just to see if he says it a third time. lol

 

[Gods&Monsters]

Well, there goes Take Two Interactive.

That's enough to get GTA6 exclusive and go nuclear

 

[Bryank75]

Yeah, perhaps but doesn't Sony already have a high debt amount already? Either way, I don't see Sony acquiring a publisher at all because they're not going to spend the money, don't want to spend the money post close and due to their market share, they can just pay a small amount for timed/full exclusivity and/or exclusive content.

On a related note, my previous post was a jab at that rythian guy on Twitter because he's now claimed twice in the last two and a half years that Sony is acquiring Take Two Interactive and I have laughed both times. Wish I could fast forward time a few years just to see if he says it a third time. lol

Oh yeah that Rythian guy hasn't got a clue...

I think it's highly doubtful they buy a publisher even if the ABK deal goes through, however it's possible.

In terms of Debt, it is very low.... 10.7 billion. That is long term debt....

As opposed to overall liabilities, which are obviously much higher as Sony is an electronics company and has a lot of components that they buy from other manufacturers to make TV's, Cameras etc..... so, like Samsung, they have relatively high Liabilities.....they balance out though, like everything in accounting.

 

[Yobo]

Well, there goes Take Two Interactive.

This is the minimum they need to spend on M&A, not the maximum

 

[Kokoloko]

I swear the number was higher for just Playstation department. Like 8-13billion? Was too good to be true Lol

 

[KnittedKnight]

Tencent having a higher stake in FromSoftware than Sony is a crime. Shame on Sony.

 

[Bryank75]

Tencent having a higher stake in FromSoftware than Sony is a crime. Shame on Sony.

Shame is definitely the word. Despite all that PlayStation gets right, they have a lot of incompetence's and short-comings that frustrate me.

 

[On Demand]

They can spend beyond that if they need to. And this is only until the 2024 quarter. They’ll of course have other invest budgets soon enough.

 

[Dabaus]

5 Billion is alot less to work with than what i think alot of us would like. They could take a 2 billion and put a billion each in square and capcom and have a 20 percent stake in each basically. Thats what i would anyways. I feel like sony kind of likes to feign weakness too at times to have opponents underestimate them so they might be putting this out there to confuse expectorations. Thats probably cope though.

 

[arvfab]

Why do people suppose this is the maximum they could spend?

This is the sum which they intend to use for investments, but no one says they couldn't pay more if they wanted to.

Nevertheless, I don't think they will make any major acquisition.

 

[Yurinka]

We have to remember that this budget is for the whole Sony, not only SIE/gaming. And that the budget isn't only for acquisitions, it's for acquisitions+investments+Sony stock repurchases. As I remember a year ago or so around 40% of that budget was spent on gaming acquisitions.

If they keep having a similar percent it would mean they'd have around $2B for gaming acquisitions for this year, unless they review this budget (something they already did in the past).

They can always make an exception and to spend more on acquisitions using other cash & equivalents, to pay with Sony shares, getting debt and so on. But very likely, unless they review this budget they'll pay their acquisitions, investments and stock repurchases using the money in this special budget.

I swear the number was higher for just Playstation department. Like 8-13billion? Was too good to be true Lol

No, the PS department never had a similar budget. It was $18B for the whole Sony and to spend in acquisitions, investments and Sony stock repurchases. Just after the Bungie acquisition they had arround $7B left, and some acquisitions and investments later now they have $5.1B left.

Not for the PS department, but for the whole Sony instead to spend in acquisitions, investments and Sony stock repurchases until -I think- March 2024.

 

[KiryuRealty]

They should spend it all at the Spearmint Rhino.

Make it rain for DAYS.

 

[voke]

Just buy CBU3 pls

 

[Alabtrosmyster]

This is like buying 3 or 4 indie studios these days.

 

[On Demand]

I see people in this thread are just as confused as trashera on how to interpret Sony financial investments.

“That’s not enough left to purchase XYZ.”


Not what any of this means. lmao.

 

[ethomaz]

Well, there goes Take Two Interactive.

That is pre appoved budget.
They can ask the board for approvation case by case.

But Take Two is not on sale.