BENGALURU: Sony Pictures Network India’s (SPN) acquisition of Ten Sports Network seems to be working well for parent Sony Corporation’s (Sony) financial numbers for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter).
In its earnings release, Sony has said that the pictures segment sales increased 27 percent year-on-year (a 17 percent increase on a US dollar basis) to 244 billion yen. The company says that asignificant increase in sales on a US dollar basis was primarily due to higher sales in Motion Pictures and Media Networks. Motion Pictures sales increased significantly due to the strong worldwide theatrical performance of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Media Networks sales increased significantly primarily due to higher advertising and subscription revenues from Ten Sports Network, a sports network in India acquired by SPE in February 2017, and from SPE’s other networks in India.
Pictures segment operating income increased 4.5 billion yen year-on-year to 7.7 billion yen. The company says that this increase in operating income was primarily due to the above-mentioned increase in sales, partially offset by higher programming and marketing expenses for Media Networks.
It may be noted that Sony’s Pictures segment, of which SPN is a part, was Sony’s third largest segment in terms of revenue for Q2-18. This segment has reported an operating profit for the current quarter, but an operating loss for the half year ended 30 September 2017 (H1-18). All of Sony’s segments have reported growth in revenue for the current quarter.
Sony’s revenue and income
Sony’s sales and operating revenue increased by 22.1 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous fiscal year (year-on-year) to 2,062.5 billion yen. This significant increase was primarily due to the impact of foreign exchange rates and an increase in game & network services (GNS) segment sales. On a constant currency basis, sales increased 15 percent.
The operating income of Sony’s pictures segment increased 4.5 billion yen year-on-year to 7.7 billion yen. The company says that this increase in operating income was primarily due to the above-mentioned increase in the segment’s sales, partially offset by higher programming and marketing expenses for Media Networks.
Let us see how the other segments of Sony have fared
Mobile Communications (MC) segment sales was 172.0 billion yen, essentially flat year-on-year (a 3 percent decrease on a constant currency basis). MC segment had an operating loss of 2.5 billion yen was recorded, compared to operating income of 3.7 billion yen recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. The company says that this deterioration was primarily due to a change in the geographic mix of smartphone sales, an increase in the price of key components, as well as the negative impact of the appreciation of the US dollar, primarily reflecting the high ratio of US dollar-denominated costs, partially offset by reductions in operating costs and marketing expenses and forex fluctuations.
The GNS segment sales increased 35.4 percent year-on-year (a 25 percent increase on a constant currency basis) to 433.2 billion yen. The company says that this significant increase was primarily due to an increase in PlayStation4 (PS4) software sales including sales through the network, the impact of foreign exchange rates, as well as an increase in PS4 hardware sales. GNS segment’s operating income increased 35.8 billion yen year-on-year to 54.8 billion yen.
Imaging Products & Solutions (IPS) segment sales increased 15.8 percent year-on-year (a 7 percent increase on a constant currency basis) to 156.7 billion yen. The company says that this significant increase in sales was mainly due to the impact of foreign exchange rates as well as the absence in the current quarter of the impact from the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. IPS segment’s operating income increased 4.0 billion yen year-on-year to 18.9 billion yen.
Home Entertainment & Sound (HES) segment’s sales increased 28.1 percent year-on-year (a 17 percent increase on a constant currency basis) to 300.9 billion yen. The company says that this significant increase was primarily due to an improvement in the product mix of televisions reflecting a shift to high value-added models, as well as the impact of foreign exchange rates. HES segment’s operating income increased 6.8 billion yen year-on-year to 24.4 billion yen.
Semiconductors segment sales increased 17.9 percent year-on-year (a 10 percent increase on a constant currency basis) to 228.4 billion yen. The company says that this increase was primarily due to a significant increase in unit sales of image sensors for mobile products, as well as the absence of the impact of a decrease in image sensor production due to the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year, partially offset by a significant decrease in sales of camera modules, a business which was downsized. Semiconductors segment Operating income of 49.4 billion yen was recorded, compared to an operating loss of 4.2 billion yen recorded in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.
Music segment sales increased 37.5 percent year-on-year (a 32 percent increase on a constant currency basis) to 206.6 billion yen. The company says that this significant increase in sales was mainly due to higher visual media and platform sales and higher recorded music sales. Visual media and platform sales increased significantly due to the continued strong performance of
Fate/Grand Order, a game application for mobile devices. Recorded music sales increased significantly primarily due to a continued increase in digital streaming revenues. Music segment’s operating income increased 16.0 billion yen year-on-year to 32.5 billion yen.
Financial services segment revenue increased 7.2 percent year-on-year to 279.2 billion yen primarily due to an increase in revenue at Sony Life. Revenue at Sony Life increased 6.6 percent year-on-year to 246.0 billion yen mainly due to higher insurance premiums revenue reflecting an increase in the policy amount in force, as well as an improvement in investment performance in the separate account. This improvement in investment performance was mainly due to favorable financial market conditions says the company. Operating income increased 3 billion yen year-on-year to 36.6 billion yen, primarily due to a decline in the loss ratio for automobile insurance at Sony Assurance and the above-mentioned increase in insurance premiums revenue at Sony Life.
