Sony second-quarter operating profit rises 45% as films lift results
Reuters reported that stronger games and movies performance contributed to Sony’s 45% operating profit rise, prompting a 9% increase to its full-year profit outlook.
Sony Group’s operating profit rose 45% year over year to 622.3 billion yen ($3.95 billion) in the fiscal second quarter ended September 30, Reuters reported on November 5. Reuters attributed the increase, which beat market estimates, to stronger performance in Sony’s games and movies units. Sony raised its full-year profit outlook by 9% following the stronger performance.
Spider-Man drives Sony Pictures revenue
Sony Pictures Entertainment reported $488 million in operating income for the quarter. Variety put sales at $3.23 billion, while Deadline reported revenue of $3.2 billion, up 37% year over year, and operating income up from $93 million in the same period last year. Both outlets linked the division’s strong results to Spider-Man: Brand New Day; Variety described the film’s box-office success as a main driver.
The division’s theatrical revenue reached $1.28 billion, about 11 times the year-earlier figure, Variety reported. Television productions revenue fell 31% to $483 million. The contrasting figures show the scale of theatrical sales in the quarter alongside a decline in television production. Variety reported that Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened at the end of July and said the film’s global box-office haul reached $2.52 billion during the summer. At the Lumière Summit in September, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and chief executive Tom Rothman told Variety’s Cynthia Littleton that the film was “not so much a superhero film, but ‘super-person’ film,” describing its appeal as human, emotional and relatable.
PlayStation 5 sales and Sony’s outlook
Sony sold 2.6 million PlayStation 5 consoles during the quarter, compared with 4 million a year earlier, Reuters reported. The report did not establish a reason for the year-over-year sales decline. Reuters said Sony had stated in July that it secured enough memory to meet its projected sales volume for the year; the company was also facing higher memory-chip prices amid the AI boom. Reuters reported that Sony’s games business was expected to benefit from the scheduled November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI.
For the fiscal second quarter, Sony’s group revenue was 3.429 trillion yen ($21.5 billion), up 10%, and net income was 450 billion yen ($2.8 billion), up 44%, Variety reported. Those figures are distinct from the 622.3 billion yen operating-profit result reported by Reuters. Sony also lifted its outlook for its chips and music divisions, Reuters reported. The results show gains across the company’s reported profit and outlook, with Sony Pictures’ theatrical performance a major contributor and PlayStation 5 unit sales lower than a year earlier.
Read in depth: Business
Poundland owner commits to prioritising jobs in rescue talks
Gordon Brothers met Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on 4 November and said it would prioritise bids protecting workers and stores, as suppliers face significant risks.
Dow rises as investors weigh Democrats’ midterm victories
U.S. stocks climbed on Nov. 4 after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, while gains varied across technology shares and analysts cautioned against reading the...
Sources and context
- Sony Q2 profit jumps on 'Spider-Man' and PlayStation boostReuters, republished by CNA
- Sony Pictures Posts Huge Q2 Profit Swing Thanks To 'Spider-Man'Deadline
- ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Spins Up Massive Numbers for Sony’s Quarterly EarningsVariety
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.