Studio Ghibli is currently owned by the Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV , which became its parent company and largest shareholder in 2023 by acquiring a 42.3% voting stake and making the studio a subsidiary.

Current owner

  • Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV / NTV) is the majority shareholder of Studio Ghibli, holding 42.3% of the voting rights.
  • This stake effectively makes Studio Ghibli a subsidiary under the Nippon TV group while preserving the studio’s creative autonomy.

How the acquisition happened

  • In September 2023, Nippon TV and Studio Ghibli announced an agreement for Nippon TV to acquire shares from multiple individual shareholders, with the deal taking effect on October 6, 2023.
  • The move followed long-running succession concerns, as Hayao Miyazaki and other founders struggled to find a single successor willing to take over management.

Role of Miyazaki and Ghibli founders now

  • Hayao Miyazaki shifted into an honorary leadership role (chairman emeritus), maintaining symbolic and creative influence without carrying full management responsibility.
  • Toshio Suzuki moved from president to representative director and chairman, while Nippon TV executive Hiroyuki Fukuda became the new president of Studio Ghibli.

Why Nippon TV, specifically?

  • Nippon TV had a long relationship with Studio Ghibli, broadcasting its films on Japanese television and collaborating on promotions and specials for years.
  • Executives from both sides publicly framed the deal as a way to “protect the value of Studio Ghibli forever” and ensure financial and managerial stability so the studio can focus on making films.

Quick HTML table for clarity

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Aspect Details
Current owner Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV) – majority voting shareholder, parent company.
Ownership stake 42.3% of Studio Ghibli’s voting rights, making it a subsidiary.
Deal announcement Publicly announced in late September 2023.
Effective date Acquisition took effect October 6, 2023, pending shareholder approval.
Founders’ role Miyazaki and Suzuki remain involved in creative and board roles but are no longer sole managers.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.