If you’ve ever wondered who owns Charlie Brown and Snoopy, it’s the company Peanuts Worldwide, a joint venture between three separate parties. There’s always been a legal blurb on every press release that states “The characters of Peanuts and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide, which is 41% owned by WildBrain Ltd., 39% owned by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and 20% owned by the family of Charles M. Schulz.”

That’s about to change. Sony announced today they are acquiring Wildbrain’s stake in the company for the price of $630 million Canadian, or $460 million American. This will bring their equity interest in Peanuts to 80%, essentially turning Peanuts Worldwide into a subsidiary of Sony, though the Schulz family will still hold some control with a 20% stake.

“Since 2018, Sony Music Entertainment Japan has been proud to be part of the partnership behind Peanuts, an iconic global entertainment brand with a 75-year legacy of delighting audiences worldwide,” says Shunsuke Muramatsu, President and Group CEO. “With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the Peanuts brand by drawing on the Sony Groupʼs extensive global network and collective expertise.

“We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family. Together with SPE, and backed by WildBrainʼs continued partnership, we will continue to embrace new opportunities to ensure that Peanuts remains a relevant and beloved presence across generations — reaching new audiences and sharing the timeless charm of the Peanuts gang for years ahead.”

So what will change? For the immediate future, nothing. Apple TV still holds exclusive rights to most Peanuts content, except in the case of movies (20th Century / Disney has The Peanuts Movie, Paramount has Race For Your Life Charlie Brown, etc). The current deal with Apple does not expire until 2030, so you can expect to see the classic specials and occasional new content on Apple TV+ for at least the next five years.

As for any worries you might have that Sony would put pressure on Peanuts Worldwide to “reboot” the characters into some kind of hip modern disaster, that is unlikely. It’s the Japanese arm of Sony that’s invested in Peanuts, and over in Japan, they love the characters, maybe even more so than here. The stores are filled with merch. If the island nation hasn’t done a radical revamp of Hello Kitty in 50 years, they won’t touch Snoopy either.

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