Brand: Sony
Country of Origin: Japan 🇯🇵
Founded: 1946
Industry: Entertainment, Gaming, Electronics & Imaging Technology
Company: Sony Group Corporation
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
President & CEO: Hiroki Totoki
Official Website: Sony Official Website
Featured By: ASIA Best Brands — Asian Brands
About Sony
Sony is one of Japan’s most internationally recognised brands, with businesses spanning gaming, music, film and television, consumer electronics, imaging technology and semiconductors.
Founded in Tokyo in 1946, Sony grew from a small electronics company into a diversified global group that connects creative content with the technologies used to produce and experience it.
From a Small Japanese Company to a Global Brand
Sony began on May 7, 1946, as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K., founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita with approximately 20 employees.
Early breakthroughs included Japan’s first magnetic tape recorder in 1950 and the TR-55 transistor radio in 1955. The company officially adopted the Sony name in 1958 as it pursued international expansion.
Over subsequent decades, Sony became associated with products such as televisions, Walkman portable music players, cameras and PlayStation while simultaneously expanding into entertainment.
PlayStation and Interactive Entertainment
Sony PlayStation 1994. Image Source: PlayStation.
Gaming has become one of Sony’s largest businesses.
The introduction of the original PlayStation in 1994 established Sony as a major force in interactive entertainment. Today, the PlayStation ecosystem includes consoles, digital games, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Plus and first-party studios.
As of June 2026, PlayStation reached a record 125 million monthly active users for that month. Sony’s Game & Network Services segment generated approximately ¥4.69 trillion in sales during fiscal 2025.
This scale makes interactive entertainment one of the most important pillars of the modern Sony Group.
Music, Movies and Anime
Sony has also developed extensive businesses in music and filmed entertainment.
Its portfolio includes Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing and Sony Pictures Entertainment, connecting artists, songwriters, films, television programmes and entertainment franchises with audiences worldwide.
Anime has become another major growth area. Sony brings together businesses including Aniplex and Crunchyroll, covering production, distribution, streaming, games, merchandise and fan experiences.
Crunchyroll surpassed 21 million paid subscribers globally by March 2026, demonstrating the international growth of Japanese anime.
Electronics Built for Creators and Consumers
Sony Electronics Product. Image Source: Sonystyle.
Electronics remain an important part of the Sony identity.
Sony’s current products include Alpha cameras, professional imaging equipment, headphones, audio systems and entertainment technologies, alongside solutions designed for creators and production professionals.
Rather than treating electronics as a separate business, Sony increasingly connects its hardware expertise with entertainment creation.
Its imaging, sound and production technologies can support the same creators whose music, films and games are distributed through other parts of the Sony ecosystem.
A Leader in Image Sensor Technology
Behind many smartphones and cameras is another important Sony business: Imaging & Sensing Solutions.
Sony develops advanced CMOS image sensors used across mobile devices, cameras and other applications.
In Q1 fiscal 2026, Imaging & Sensing Solutions generated ¥512.7 billion in sales, up 26% year over year, supported by increased mobile image-sensor sales and an improved product mix.
Sony is also working with TSMC on next-generation image sensor technologies, with the companies signing definitive agreements for a strategic partnership in August 2026.
Entertainment, IP and Artificial Intelligence
Sony’s current corporate direction increasingly centres on entertainment, intellectual property and creation technology.
Following the partial spin-off of its Financial Services business in October 2025, Sony has focused its main portfolio around Game & Network Services, Music, Pictures, Entertainment Technology & Services, and Imaging & Sensing Solutions.
Under its Creative Entertainment Vision, Sony aims to connect technology with creators and maximise the value of entertainment IP across games, music, films, anime and other experiences.
Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of this strategy, although Sony has stated that human creativity should remain central rather than being replaced by AI.
Asia at the Heart of Sony
Unlike many global technology and entertainment brands, Sony’s connection with Asia begins with its origins.
Japan remains the company’s headquarters and an important centre for management, technology development and content creation.
Sony also maintains electronics manufacturing operations across Asian markets including China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia, in addition to Japan.
The region is also central to Sony’s creative businesses, particularly through Japanese music, gaming and anime IP that increasingly reaches audiences worldwide.
Global Scale in 2026
For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, Sony Group recorded approximately ¥12.48 trillion in sales from continuing operations and ¥1.45 trillion in operating income.
The Group employed approximately 94,900 people worldwide as of March 31, 2026.
Performance remained strong in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, with sales increasing 8% year over year to approximately ¥2.84 trillion and operating income rising 40% to ¥476.5 billion.
Sony stated in 2026 that entertainment businesses now account for around 67% of consolidated sales, reflecting how significantly the company has evolved beyond its traditional electronics identity.
Why Sony Is Featured on ASIA Best Brands
Sony demonstrates how an Asian technology company can repeatedly reinvent itself while maintaining a distinctive global identity.
From radios and consumer electronics to PlayStation, music, film, anime, cameras and image sensors, Sony has expanded across multiple generations of technology and entertainment.
Its Japanese heritage remains fundamental, while its businesses increasingly connect Asian creativity and technology with audiences around the world.
By combining entertainment, intellectual property, technology and creative innovation, Sony remains one of the most influential Japanese brands featured on ASIA Best Brands.
Official Website:
Sony Official Website
Category: Entertainment | Gaming | Electronics | Imaging Technology
Tags: Sony, Sony Group, PlayStation, Sony Music, Sony Pictures, Crunchyroll, Image Sensors, Japanese Brands, Entertainment Technology, ASIA Best Brands
Sources
1. Sony Group — Corporate Data
Official information covering Sony’s founding date, headquarters, leadership, business segments, employees and fiscal 2025 sales.
Sony Corporate Data
2. Sony Group — Company History
Official history covering Sony’s founding in 1946, early products and international development.
Sony Group History
3. Sony Group — Corporate Strategy 2026
Official information covering Sony’s current focus on entertainment, IP, anime, AI and creation technology.
Sony Corporate Strategy 2026
4. Sony Group — FY2025 Financial Results
Official financial information covering sales, operating income and performance across Sony’s business segments.
Sony FY2025 Earnings
5. Sony Group — Q1 Fiscal 2026 Results
Latest official quarterly figures covering PlayStation, Music, Pictures, electronics and image sensors.
Sony Q1 FY2026 Results
6. Sony Group — Financial Services Spin-Off
Official information explaining Sony’s current business structure following the 2025 partial spin-off.
Sony Financial Services Spin-Off
7. Sony Group — Anime Business
Official information covering Aniplex, Crunchyroll and Sony’s expanding global anime strategy.
Sony Anime Business
8. Sony Group — Asian Manufacturing Network
Official information covering Sony manufacturing operations in Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.
Sony Responsible Supply Chain