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IG Port Launches Capital Tie-Up With NTT Plala to Produce Original Anime
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
IG Port — the parent company of animation studios Production I.G, Wit Studio, XEBEC, Signal.MD, and publisher Mag Garden — and Internet service provider NTT Plala both announced a new capital partnership on Monday that aims to produce new content. As part of the partnership, NTT Plala acquired 4.98 percent of IG Port's outstanding shares.
The partnership involves plans for new original anime, as well as anime aimed at smartphones. The partnership is also eyeing the planning, production, and distribution of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) video content.
Production I.G is currently operating the "Tate Anime" (Vertical Anime) smartphone app, which streams anime shorts produced for vertical smartphone screens. The app launched last June. IG Port also recently established its new Lingua France subsidiary aimed at expanding digital publication last November.
NTT Plala is a subsidiary of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) telecommunications company, and also operates the Hikari TV streaming service.
Source: Anime! Anime! Biz (Kōtarō Nakase)
