Business ReportINVESTOR RELATIONS
The Business Reports provide information on management strategies, business progress and performance highlights, representative CEO message, topics, and other information to shareholders. The report used to be published semiannually and twice a year, however, with the publication of the annual reports, it has been publishing only first half/online from the fiscal year ended February 28, 2020.
March
Everystar to Become Wholly Owned Subsidiary
MEDIA DO acquired 70% of the shares of Everystar Co., Ltd., which operates a novel-sharing site, from DeNA Co., Ltd., making it a subsidiary on December 14, 2021. We acquired the company’s remaining 30% of shares from NTT DOCOMO, INC. on March 24, 2022, with the purpose of expanding our earning power and enhancing corporate value, thus making Everystar a wholly owned subsidiary. By further increasing collaboration after this change, we aim to create new content through collaboration with the Group’s imprint business and the provision of original works from eBook retailers and for vertical scrolling comics (VSC).
April
Establishment of Basketball Club Management Company GAMBAROU TOKUSHIMA
On April 1, 2022, we established GAMBAROU TOKUSHIMA Co., Ltd. as a subsidiary together with joint investments from 22 other companies with roots in Tokushima Prefecture. The company manages the basketball club TOKUSHIMA GAMBAROUS and aspires for the team to be the first from Tokushima to join the B.League (operated by the Japan Professional Basketball League). GAMBAROU TOKUSHIMA will increase collaboration with stakeholders including the founding shareholders, local governments and partners, and community members to increase our visibility and contribute to the promotion of regional professional sports in Tokushima Prefecture. Additionally, GAMBAROU TOKUSHIMA established TOKUSHIMA GAMBAROUS ALT as an amateur basketball club made up of players from the prefecture as a developmental team prior to the professional team joining the B.League.
June
Establishment of Sustainability Committee
On June 1, 2022, we established the Sustainability Committee as an advisory body to the Board of Directors after reorganizing the Risk Management Committee, with the purpose of making MEDIA DO and its organizations more sustainable. Under our mission of “unleashing a virtuous cycle of literary creation” and our vision of “More Content for More People!”, we must actively engage in corporate activities in order for our businesses and services to contribute to a sound economic society and to the development of culture fostered by literary creation. Through this committee, we will promote management and strategy pivoting around this mission and vision in response to environmental and societal issues symbolized by the SDGs. In this manner, we are committed to balancing problem solving and sustainable growth, while identifying business risks and opportunities presented by ESG.
Officially Launched Services of PUBNAVI, an eBook Sales Royalty Management System
On June 1, 2022, we officially launched services of PUBNAVI, an eBook sales royalty management system, together with KOWA COMPUTER CO, LTD. Books will go out of print if they are not printed and reprinted. However, eBooks never go out of print because they are digital content. Once they are released, the sales and royalties of eBooks must be managed on an ongoing basis, almost permanently. To mitigate the workload placed on publishers in processing ever-growing sales and royalties, PUBNAVI manages eBook sales as well as calculates and pays out royalties. Through this system, we will support the operational streamlining of publishers along with the digital transformation of the publishing industry.
*Provided in a SaaS format that can be used at anytime and from anywhere with an Internet connection.
July
Launched MANGA SAISON through Capital and Operational Alliance with Credit Saison
On July 4, 2022, we concluded a capital and operational alliance with Credit Saison Co., Ltd., and as of August 31, 2022, Credit Saison became MEDIA DO’s ninth largest shareholder. Through this alliance, we revamped our eBook distributor ComiNavi into MANGA SAISON, ecomics service geared toward the Saison Course under Credit Saison’s members-only plan. Exclusive to the Saison Course, members receive 50% points back when they purchase book retailer points that can be used to purchase any book sold on the site.
In addition to offering one of the highest rates of returning points on purchases*, points earned from purchases using a Saison credit card, which never expire, can be used to purchase comics. With this broad suite of services, we are looking to capture more customers of Saison credit cards and MANGA SAISON along with further grow the eBook market.
*According to research by MEDIA DO
August
Establishment of Label Exclusively for VSC called YUZU comics
We established YUZU comics, a label exclusively for vertical scrolling comics (VSC), and began by distributing two works from China first on Piccoma, a digital comic and novel site, in August 2022. We will procure, translate and distribute popular VSC’s overseas as well as produce YUZU comics original VSC’s, through our partnerships with Group companies as well as publishers, production studios and eBook retailers around the world. In December 2022, we plan to distribute an original remake with a modern take on Osamu Tezuka’s masterpiece manga, Dororo, in VSC form. We will maximize IP value in terms of both production and distribution as well as contribute to the growth of the entire ecomics market including VSC.
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