Acquisition closed
Sony acquires Sony Music and Columbia Records (1988)
Sony completed the acquisition of Sony Music and Columbia Records on 5 January 1988 for $2 billion.[1]
Sony acquired CBS Records for about $2 billion, buying the oldest record label in the world along with it. It was the first of two purchases that turned a Japanese electronics manufacturer into a major American media owner, and it drew political alarm in the United States at the time.
Deal facts
- Announced
- Closed
- Value
- $2 billion (equity value)
- Buyer
- Sony
- Seller
- —
- Assets
- Sony Music, Columbia Records
- Regulatory review
- None recorded
Ownership changes recorded from this deal
| Owner | Owned | Relationship | Stake | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony | Sony Music | owns | 100% | 1988-01-05 | present |
| Sony | Columbia Records | owns | 100% | 1988-01-05 | present |
Who owns these brands today?
- Sony Music — owned by Sony since 1988
- Columbia Records — owned by Sony since 1988
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Sony Group Corporation - company history — Sony Group Corporation, Annual report; retrieved 8 September 2026.
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