Sony Corporation of America
TypeSubsidiary
Industry
FoundedFebruary 15, 1960; 63 years ago (1960-02-15)
FounderAkio Morita
Headquarters 25 Madison Avenue
New York City,
U.S.
Key people
  • Kenichiro Yoshida (Chairman, President & CEO)
  • Steven Kober (Executive Vice President & CFO)
Number of employees
33,234[1]
ParentSony

Sony Corporation of America (SONAM,[2] also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony.[3]

SONAM, headquartered in New York City, manages the company's US-based businesses.[4]

Sony's principal U.S. businesses include Sony Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Interactive Entertainment and the Sony Music Group (divided in the Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing).

It was reported in December 2016 by multiple news outlets that Sony was considering restructuring its U.S. operations by merging its television and film business, Sony Pictures Entertainment, with its gaming business, Sony Interactive Entertainment. According to the reports, such a restructuring would have placed Sony Pictures under Sony Interactive's then CEO, Andrew House, though he would not have assumed day-to-day operations of the film studio.[5][6][7] According to one report, Sony was set to make a final decision on the possibility of the merger of the television, film and gaming businesses by the end of its fiscal year in March of the following year (2017).[5] By January 2020, nothing had materialized.

Investments in the United States

Sony Group Corporation has been investing in the United States since the 1960s. Sony has made significant investments in various industries and has established a strong presence in the American market.

One of Sony's most notable investments in the US is in the entertainment industry. Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation, is a major player in the American film and television industry. The company produces, finances, and distributes a wide variety of content, including feature films, television shows, and streaming content. Sony Pictures has produced many successful and critically acclaimed movies, such as the Spider-Man and Jumanji franchises, as well as television shows like Breaking Bad and The Blacklist.[8]

In addition to the entertainment industry, Sony has also invested heavily in the gaming industry in the United States. Sony Interactive Entertainment, another subsidiary of Sony Corporation, is the company behind the PlayStation gaming console. The PlayStation has been a major player in the gaming market for decades and has consistently been one of the top-selling gaming consoles in the United States.[9]

Sony has also made investments in the technology and electronics industries in the United States. The company has manufacturing facilities and research and development centers in various states across the country, where they produce a wide range of products, including televisions, cameras, and audio equipment.[10]

Sony Corporation has made significant investments in the United States across multiple industries, including entertainment, gaming, technology, and electronics. The company's subsidiaries, such as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Interactive Entertainment, have established a strong presence in the American market and have contributed to the growth of these industries. Sony's investments in the US have been successful and have helped to solidify the company's position as a major player in the global market. Sony is the tenth largest foreign direct investor in the United States, with investments worth more than $90 billion.[11] In 2021, more than half of Sony Corporation's revenue came from companies based in the United States.[12]

Spider-Man Film IP

Sony Interactive Entertainment headquarters in San Mateo, California

In 1999, Sony acquired the Intellectual property movie rights to Spider-Man from Marvel Entertainment for $7 million.[13] The Spider-Man movie franchise has grossed more than $9.8 billion, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie franchise in history.[14] In 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home became the seventh highest-grossing movie of all time.[15]

Sony Interactive Entertainment

In 2016, Sony moved PlayStation, Sony's biggest brand by revenue, to the United States.[16] The largest acquisition by Sony Corporation was American video game company Bungie for $3.7 billion in 2022.[17] The PlayStation 4 was the most profitable console ever, selling over 117 million units, making it the fourth best-selling console of all time.[18] God of War became one of the 50 best-selling games of all time, selling 23 million units.[19] Sony Interactive Entertainment's revenue was $25 billion in 2021. PS5 become Sony's fastest-selling and most profitable console ever.[20]

Sony Pictures Entertainment headquarters in Culver City, California

Sony Pictures Entertainment

On November 9, 1989, Sony entered the film industry by acquiring Columbia Pictures for $3.4 billion.[21] Columbia Pictures is considered one of the "Big Five" major American film studios. In 2021, Sony Pictures Entertainment became the highest earning film production company in the United States.

Sony Music Entertainment

On January 5, 1988, Sony entered the music industry by acquiring Sony Music (formerly CBS Records) for $2 Billion. With the $8.9 billion revenue in 2021, Sony Music Entertainment is the second largest of the "Big Three" record companies, behind Universal Music Group and followed by Warner Music Group.

List of American companies acquired and owned by Sony Corporation

Acquired Company Business Value Employees References
July 15, 2022 Bungie Video Games $3.7 billion 1,550 [17]
November 8, 1989 Columbia Pictures Movies/Television $3.4 billion 9,500 [22]
January 5, 1988 Sony Music Music $2 billion 8,500 [23]
August 9, 2021 Crunchyroll Video streaming service $1.17 billion 610 [24]
November 18, 2019 Game Show Network Basic cable channel $500 million 128 [25]
July 2, 2012 Gaikai Cloud gaming $380 million
March 3, 2022 Industrial Media Entertainment $350 million 115 [26]
August 19, 2019 Insomniac Games Video Games $229 million 510 [27]
November 9, 1989 Guber-Peters Entertainment Movies/Television $200 million
December 10, 2019 Silvergate Media Movies/Television $195 million 31 [28]
July 9, 2002 Acuff-Rose Music Music publishing $157 million
July 31, 2017 Funimation Entertainment $143 million 400 [29]
January 22, 2001 Naughty Dog Video Games 800 [30]
December 1, 2000 Bend Studio Video Games 130
August 2, 2011 Sucker Punch Productions Video Games 160 [31]
March 18, 2021 EVO Championship Esports [32]
September 30, 2021 Bluepoint Games Video Games 70 [33]
July 18, 2022 Repeat.gg Esports 18 [34]
March 5, 2012 The Orchard Music 867 [35]
August 4, 2022 Right Stuf Video publishing 70 [36]
December 23, 2012 Ultra Records Music 111 [37]
October 25, 2022 Pixomondo Visual effects 655 [38]
April 20, 2023 Firewalk Studios Video Games 133 [39]

List of American Companies founded by Sony Corporation

Founded Company Business Employees
1999 Santa Monica Studio Video Games 360
May 9, 2002 Sony Pictures Animation Computer animated film 255
March, 2005 Aniplex of America Anime and music production
2019 PlayStation Productions Entertainment

List of stakes owned by Sony Corporation in American Companies

In 2022, Sony announced that it will invest more than 1 billion in Epic Games. In total, Sony's total investment in Epic Games is worth 1.45 billion and they own 4.9% of Epic Games.[40]

Company Business Value Stakes Percent References
Epic Games Video games $1.45 billion 4.9% [41]
Discord Communication $100 million 1.4% [42]
Devolver Digital Video games $20 million 5.03% [43]

Subsidiaries

Others subsidiaries

References

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