TOKYO — Michael Jackson is driving huge profits for Sony Music Entertainment once again.
The music giant posted 557.9 billion yen ($3.5 billion) in sales for the three months ending June 30. That is a 22% jump compared to the same period last year.
The surge comes as the hit Lionsgate biographical movie Michael renewed interest in the King of Pop’s legendary songs. Sony reported that Jackson’s iconic albums Thriller and Bad landed among its top 10 best-selling recorded music projects during the quarter.
While the music division celebrated big wins, Sony Pictures Entertainment experienced a much quieter stretch. Revenue for the film unit dropped 13% year-on-year to $1.98 billion.
North American movie theaters saw few releases from the studio during these three months. The division’s only wide theatrical debut was comedian Nate Bargatze’s The Breadwinner.
Theatrical sales plummeted to $30 million for the quarter. That marks a sharp $100 million drop from the same period in 2025, when Sony released major titles such as 28 Years Later and Karate Kid: Legends.
Despite lower overall revenue, Sony Pictures managed to grow its operating income by 21% to $156 million.
The studio’s television division took a hit as well. TV sales fell 32% from $841 million in 2025 down to $571 million this year. Lower deliveries of shows caused the drop, even with Amazon streaming the final season of The Boys during the quarter.
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