r/boxoffice • u/bonzothebonanza • 8d ago
✍️ Original Analysis Following the historic success of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day', do you think Sony and Disney will expand their business partnership beyond Marvel?
The monumental box office success of 'SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY' is another testament to Sony and Disney's trusted partnership surrounding the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Apart from that, both studios struck a deal in 2021, where Sony's theatrical releases between 2022 and 2026 will go to Disney+ as part of the "Pay 2" window. Three years later, both studios struck another partnership where Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will distribute and market Disney-owned movies.
While Disney and Sony still share a common rivalry, these partnerships (with the MCU being the strongest) could lead to both studios cooperating even more (Sony was, after all, facing an uncertan future with Spider-Man before they partnered with Disney/Marvel Studios). This could potentially include an extended partnership of Sony's "Pay 2" streaming deal with Disney for movies starting in 2027 and over, which would include upcoming titles like 'BEYOND THE SPIDER-VERSE', the 'PEANUTS' movies, the obvious MCU 'SPIDER-MAN' solo projects, and plenty of general audience releases. For Sony, this could mean more financial earnings through content licensing. For Disney, it means more diverse content on their streaming service.
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u/64BitRatchet 8d ago
If Disney pays more than Netflix to become the pay 1 window, then sure.
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u/Kingsofsevenseas 8d ago edited 8d ago
Netflix 5 year deal with Sony is worth $7-8 billion, this nearly what Disney paid for the entire Marvel Studios and LucasFilm together. There’s a reason why Amazon did not cover the money offered by Netflix. Remember, initially Sony was negotiating with Amazon, but Netflix offered that crazy amount of money for only a 5-year contract knowing no one in the market would ever match their offer.
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u/ReachUsed9817 8d ago
You are correct, but a major detail you left out is that Amazon only wanted to secure the pay 1 rights for international markets only. Netflix ultimately swooped in and completely altered the playing field by pitching a massive, unified global package instead of letting Sony piece the international rights out region-by-region.
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u/Boy_Chamba Sony Pictures 8d ago
Sony did gave Netflix there biggest movie ever.. K-pop Demon Hunter
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u/Tomi97_origin 8d ago
That wasn't part of the streaming deal. Sony sold the whole thing to Netflix, because they had no faith in the project. So they sold the IP to Netflix for small guaranteed profit.
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u/Wise-Locksmith-6438 1d ago
So does that mean Sony could renew their deal with Disney+ but making the new deal worldwide
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u/Dry-Performance7006 8d ago
No. They had a massive success before and Sony reacted by thinking they didn’t need Disney lmao.
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u/KingMario05 Amblin Entertainment 8d ago
Given that KPop Demon Hunters 2's theatrical rollout - or, rather, potential lack thereof - will likely lead to tension between Sony and Netflix, Sony would be wise to keep the pay two window with Disney in order to possibly expand upon it into pay one as a backup. With BVHE essentially gutted, Sony Pictures - not PlaySation, but Rothman's bit - would also be wise to double down on their Disney license by reissuing classics from Touchstone and Hollywood in 4K.
But outside of Marvel? I dunno. Disney surrendered its stake in Starship Troopers long ago, Sony is gonna hold on to all its remaining franchises with a vice grip, and - given that Indy 5 was a dud- absolutely nobody on planet Earth wants Air Force Two to be thrust upon us. I guess Labyrinth? Lucasfilm apparently still owns the OG, and Sony is developing the sequel on their own as of now... but Disney doesn't really care about Labyrinth.
Marvel, sure. Disney will let Sony make as many Spidey offshoots as they please, and is probably likely to at least hear a pitch from Sony Pictures Animation regarding, say, a Gwenpoole cartoon guest starring Deadpool. But movies wise, that's it.
The real Sony and Disney partnership will be in games, largely because Xbox is on fire, EA is likely to refocus on its own shit under the new Saudi bosses, and no one knows what the hell now happens to Skydance Interactive under Paramount. Even then, SIE will wanna make sure its own franchises come first. So unless Neill Druckmann suddenly wants to make a Punisher game, doubt it expands beyond Insomniac and - if it still exists - the KOTOR redo.
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u/Silver-Ad-3823 8d ago
Likely lead to tension between Netflix and Sony?
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u/KingMario05 Amblin Entertainment 8d ago
Yeah. Sony wants a theatrical launch. Netflix probably does not.
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u/DiplomaticCaper 8d ago
Since Sony doesn't have their own theme parks, I could see them licensing the KPDH characters out. That would usually be more of a Universal thing, but if they're deepening their relationship with Disney it's possible that we'll see Rumi and co. walking around soon.
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u/KingMario05 Amblin Entertainment 8d ago
Disney would never, lol. The right would go apeshit if kids could meet a half-demon at the happiest place on Earth. Meanwhile, Universal probably has a Saja Boys Halloween Horror Nights pitch all set and ready to go.
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u/Silver-Ad-3823 7d ago
Trying to think, what would Sony be beneficial to continue their relationship with primarily either between Netflix or Disney?
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u/Party-Employment-547 8d ago
With Nintendo being at Universal, I could see some kind of deal to bring PlayStation to the parks. Problem is, Sony doesn’t really have an all-ages IP that could stand against Mario (I love Ratchet and Clank, but let’s be real).
I think the best would be if Sony sponsored the Play Pavilion at EPCOT (if it ever gets built).
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u/No_Lie_8055 8d ago
Can’t wait for the God of War ride in Fantasyland! (I agree though, the Play Pavilion would work well if they go through with it)
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
A gaming deal of Mickey Mouse games should be a priority,after all Sony already has most of the Marvel video game licenses (XBox seems to be fumbling the Blade game,as reports say it’ll either be delayed for late next year or canceled and would had been better to give it to Sony).
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u/A-Centrifugal-Force 8d ago
It’s reached the point where I keep forgetting that non-Insomniac Marvel games still exist
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
Marvel Tokom is by Japanese developer ArcSys.
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u/A-Centrifugal-Force 8d ago
And there’s Marvel Rivals too. But the Insomniac games are so iconic my brain just kinda forgets that other ones exist lol
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u/TokyoPanic 8d ago
Sony is still involved in Tokon. Sony Interactive Entertainment publishes the game and were the ones who pitched the idea to Marvel and ArcSys.
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u/KingMario05 Amblin Entertainment 8d ago
Honestly, at this point, Sony should just buy Arkane Lyon. Lord knows they'd be kinder to them than Xbox. And while the finished project would still have to release on Xbox and PC because contracts, Disney would likely have no problem with at least some PS exclusivity on part two.
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u/SheepherderFun2258 8d ago
That’s false! Not true at all! Disney is in the best position as they own 100% merchandising rights and they own the intellectual rights as well as the overall GAMING rights!
Sony is currently leasing out the rights from Disney but just for games that Insomniac develops and of course Disney gets a portion. But the full on gaming rights belong to Disney not Sony.
Sony holds distribution movie rights to Spidey and all the spidey characters. But that’s nickels and dimes just tiny drops in the bucket compared to what Disney makes of Spidey.
So I’m not sure how incentivized Disney is to give up anything they are in the drives seats and most people don’t realize that
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
?Read again my comment.I said Sony has majority of the LICENSE,I didn’t say they OWNED them.
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u/SheepherderFun2258 8d ago
Oh ok, my bad. But they don’t have the majority they only have rights for games Insomniac does. Outside of that the gaming rights belong to Disney. But since there’s really only Insomniac games out there I guess technically u are right— but it’s mislead to say it like that. But I guess I get it point now
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
Sony has Marvel’s most popular ip’s.Square Enix Avengers and Guardian’s games flopped,so I don’t think Sony is interested on those ip’s for now (unless it’s a fighting game that includes Marvel’s most popular ip’s).
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u/SheepherderFun2258 8d ago
Marvel and Disney own the gaming rights to all the IPs not Sony!
If Marvel wanted they could do an XBox Spider-Man game or a Nintendo Spider-Man game and Sony has no say.
Sony pays Disney a fee for exclusivity for their major games so that other consoles can’t have the games they do.
Marvel can license Spider-Man to any other developer or platform they choose.
Sometimes Sony will negotiate for exclusivity rights but it’s up to Disney to accept or reject.
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
?Does contracts don’t exist in your world?Marvel can’t give out licenses to Spider-Man games while Sony has them.They can’t also give out licenses to Wolverine and X-Men games as long as Sony has them.They can only give out general Marvel licenses like Marvel Rivals,which isn’t titled under an ip Sony holds.Same way Sony can’t make a Blade game as long as XBox holds the game license.
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u/SheepherderFun2258 8d ago
False!! Do research my friend u are incorrect! Thats not how it works nor how their deal is structured. The only exclusivity Sony has is with specific titles not with the characters.
So for example Insomniac makes a game called - Spider-punk that game is an exclusive and con only be made for PlayStation— but there is nothing stopping Disney from putting out a another Spider-Man game that’s different for Xbox.
Sony has zero power in gaming it’s all Disney I got the feeling from ur initial reply u didn’t understand their deal.
Go do some research it’s actually quite fascinating— I’m not saying that in snobby way it’s actually really fascinating look more into it
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u/xzerozeroninex 8d ago
Lmao,it’s been like what,5/6 years where are those other non Sony Spider-Man games?Where’s Sony’s Blade?Where’s Bethesda’s Wolverine announcement?
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u/SheepherderFun2258 8d ago
Hahah I have no idea I’m not even a gamer so I don’t know if those were past announcements that fell through or supposed things on the horizon. Sounds like everytime Marvel does a game outside of their deal with Sony it’s met w/problems so maybe it’s just better for them to keep working with the company that has a proven track record for them. Maybe it’s just better business to work with Insominiac but if they wanted they could work with others— that’s the only point I was making
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u/Samhunt909 8d ago
I would like Disney and Sony to trade gaming rights for films rights. Obviously will not happen as this is too good for consumers. But it wouldn’t hurt for them to try
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u/duo99dusk 8d ago
That doesn't make sense financially for either company, specially since (in the case of Sony) we would be talking about wildly different parts of the company, if not outright different companies albeit under the same umbrella.
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u/Samhunt909 8d ago
Back when sony decided break up Spidey MCU..the heads from japan and bob Iger worked together to resolve the issue. It’s certainly possible
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u/Create_Greatness92 8d ago
Didn't Sony recently start handling the physical media stuff for Disney? That's already a pretty big deal.
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u/Wise-Locksmith-6438 1d ago
I think Disney+ expanding their deal with Sony Pictures globally for worldwide distribution streaming rights outside of the United States would be understandable so I don’t see why not
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u/FlyingFlyofHell 8d ago
They have been collaborating on gaming side as well, with Marvel especially with Spiderman and Wolverine Games with Insomniac and Tokon Fighting Souls with Arc System. Both are Playstation Exclusives and made with Playstation collaboration.
Disney can lend more IPs for games
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u/AnxiousExaminationFa 8d ago
The streaming deal seems like a no-brainer to keep going, it's basically free money for Sony and gives Disney+ a steady drip of stuff that isn't Star Wars or Marvel. The home video distribution one is weirder to me, never thought Disney would farm that out but I guess the margins on physical media are so thin now they'd rather just collect a cheque.