The Interview ranks as Sony's top online film after streaming revenues reach $31M
‘The Interview’ rakes in $31 million — NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Weeks after canceling and then un-canceling “The Interview,” Sony Pictures is taking a victory lap. — The controversial Seth Rogen comedy …
Context & Ripple Effects
Sony Pictures went from declaring no further release plans for The Interview on December 18 to a full reversal within a week: the film landed on YouTube, Google Play, Xbox Video, and SeeTheInterview.com at $5.99 to rent or $14.99 to own, with select theaters added Christmas Day and Apple bringing it to iTunes days later.
By December 29 the studio counted more than 2 million transactions and over $15 million in online sales — doubling in under two weeks to today's $31 million, enough to make The Interview Sony's top-grossing online film despite 1.5 million-plus torrent downloads in its first two days. A film pulled from wide theatrical release ended up setting an internal digital record.
First-order effects
- Sony Pictures converts a shelved title into its biggest-ever online earner, with revenue split between four launch platforms plus iTunes rather than flowing through a traditional theatrical window.
Second-order effects
- Apple, Google, Microsoft, and YouTube demonstrated they will carry politically charged first-run titles, giving studios a viable direct-to-digital path when theater chains balk — and raising pressure on exhibitors who passed on the film while it set records elsewhere.
Third-order effects
- If a canceled movie can top a major studio's digital charts without its intended theatrical run, premium video-on-demand strengthens its case as a genuine first-release window, not just a post-theater aftermarket.
The trend: Controversy-driven day-and-date digital releases are proving studios can monetize first-run films directly through streaming platforms even outside the theatrical system.