Sony saw its fiscal second-quarter profit jump 7% to $2 billion thanks largely to the success of its Playstation gaming unit, but adding a boost has been the success of “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle,” which Crunchyroll and Sony distribute globally.
The Japanese conglomerate on Monday night also posted revenue of $20.2 billion, up 5% from the year earlier.The company’s revenue growth was driven by its Playstation, music (also helped by “Demon Slayer” media) and imaging and sensing solutions (camera and camera components).
Sony Pictures, meanwhile, saw its revenue decline by 2% to $2.24 billion, while its operating income fell by a quarter to $90 million thanks to tough comparisons from last year’s blockbuster “It Ends With Us.” The tough comparison was offset by higher revenue from Crunchyroll due to paid subscriber growth and the worldwide theatrical distribution of “Infinity Castle.”
As a result of its success in the period, Sony lifted its full-year sales forecast by 3% to $77.78 billion and its operating income by 8% to $8.62 billion. However, it warned that the impact of additional U.S. tariffs would decrease its operating income by $129.8 million to $324.5 million.
Sony’s music segment saw sales jump 21% to $3.5 billion and operating income climb 28% to $749 million, driven by higher Visual Media and Platform revenue and the success of “Infinity Castle.” Also boosting the results was streaming revenue, which saw a 12% increase in recorded music and 25% increase in music publishing.
“Infinity Castle” has grossed $133.5 million in North America and $670 million globally, besting U.S. blockbusters like “Superman” and “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The division raised its full-year sales forecast 6% and operating income forecast 7%, with “Demon Slayer” and “Kokuho” contributing to around half of the upward revision in operating income. Executives do not expect any meaningful impact from U.S. tariffs.
Meanwhile, the Game & Network Services segment saw revenue grow 4% to $7.19 billion, but operating income tumbled 13% to $781 million as a result of impairment charges related to Bungie’s “Destiny 2” and adjustments to capitalized development costs. Excluding those one-time items, segment profit would have risen 23%.
User engagement with PlayStation grew 3% to 119 million monthly active accounts, while total play time for the quarter grew 1% year over year. The company expects these trends to continue in the second half of the year due to a continued shift to higher tiers in its network service business and the contribution of first-party titles.
Despite being hurt by a $194.6 million impact from tariffs, its operating income forecast for the segment remains unchanged.
