Amazon snatched up MGM. Disney has Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Marvel Studios. WarnerMedia is joining with Discovery. Left and right, we’re seeing studios combine forces and become even bigger as the film and TV industry adjusts for this new streaming reality. And then you have Sony Pictures. The studio that seems to be the last independent major film studio without a streaming service or major mother company (outside of, well, Sony) is doing things differently. And according to CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony thinks staying independent is the way to go moving forward.
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Speaking to the Financial Times, the Sony CEO made it completely clear that the company is not looking to sell Sony Pictures nor is it looking to spin off the film/TV studio into something separate (a la the WarnerMedia/Discovery deal). Sony Pictures, in no uncertain terms, is staying with Sony.
“There is drastic realignment in the media industry, but I think our strategy of creating content as an independent studio while working with various partners will work,” Yoshida said.
Instead of selling the studio or spinning it off into a separate entity, Sony is looking to do something other studios in Hollywood just aren’t doing right now—collaboration. In fact, over the past month or so, we’ve seen Sony make a blockbuster deal with Netflix to provide its library of content for the streaming service, as well as a deal with Disney that will also allow for Sony Pictures programming to appear on Disney+. In other words, Sony isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel with a new streaming service, but instead, the company is going to team up with the leaders in the industry to showcase its wares.
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“I think the reason we were able to sign good deals with Netflix and Disney is because they were attracted to our PlayStation Productions pipeline,” said Yoshida. “We can strengthen our ability to create content through such group-wide collaboration.”
It’s a bold strategy, for certain, but if it works, it will allow for Sony to be nimble and not beholden to some sort of mega-conglomerate parent company. So, if you’re Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Apple, or any of the other massive companies looking to purchase Sony Pictures exclusively, it’s clear that Yoshida and his Sony crew are not interested. For now, at least.