Spider-Man Blockbuster Lifts Sony Pictures Sales and Profit

Sony Pictures Entertainment reported sharply higher sales and operating income for the quarter ended Sept. 30, with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” providing the biggest boost. The film studio’s sales climbed 37% from a year earlier to $3.23 billion, while operating income reached $581 million, an increase of 527%.

Theatrical revenue totaled $1.28 billion, rising elevenfold compared with the same period last year. “Brand New Day” accounted for most of that growth, with horror releases “Insidious: Out of the Further” and “Resident Evil” also contributing. The gains contrasted with a decline in television production revenue, which fell 31% year over year to $483 million.

After opening widely on July 31, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” collected $2.52 billion at the worldwide box office over the summer. That made it the third-highest-grossing film in history, behind the original “Avatar” and Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker, with Zendaya playing MJ.

Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, emphasized the film’s emotional appeal during a September conversation with Variety’s Cynthia Littleton at the Lumière Summit in France. Describing its appeal beyond superhero spectacle, Rothman said: “It’s very human. It’s very emotional.” He attributed its success to a relatable story.

Across Sony, revenue for the September quarter, the second quarter of fiscal 2026, increased 10% to 3.429 trillion yen, or $21.5 billion. Net income rose 44% to 450 billion yen, or $2.8 billion. The Japanese electronics and media company used an exchange rate of 159.3 yen to the U.S. dollar in its earnings report.

Sony’s games business recorded revenue of 1.208 trillion yen, or $7.6 billion, up 9%. Higher sales from network services and first-party and third-party game titles outweighed a decline in PlayStation hardware sales. The company sold 2.6 million PS5 consoles during the quarter, compared with 4.0 million a year earlier. PlayStation monthly active users reached 127 million at quarter-end, an increase of 2 million from the preceding quarter.

Operating income at Game & Network Services rose 83% to 220 billion yen, or $1.4 billion. The comparison benefited from costs recorded a year earlier, including 31.5 billion yen in impairment losses involving some of Bungie’s intangible and other assets. That earlier period also included 18.3 billion yen in expenses related to a correction of previously capitalized development costs.

The music division also posted growth. Sales increased 10% to 598.4 billion yen, supported by higher revenue from live events, merchandising and streaming services. Operating income rose 6% to 122.8 billion yen.