Hey there! Today I want to dive deep into Sony Group – a company we all think we know. You might be thinking “Oh, that Walkman company, right?” But honestly, today’s Sony has evolved into something way more impressive than you might imagine.
Sony’s Current Numbers Are Pretty Wild
Looking at Q1 FY2025 results, revenue hit ¥2.62 trillion (up 2.2% year-over-year) and operating profit jumped to ¥339.9 billion (up 36.5%). Plus, their FY2025 net profit reached about ¥1.08 trillion – a record high! When you hear “over a trillion yen,” the scale is just mind-blowing.
But here’s the thing – today’s Sony is completely different from what it used to be.
Plot Twist: Sony Is Actually an Entertainment Company
When you look at Sony’s current business segments, you might be surprised. Their main areas are: Gaming & Network Services, Music, Pictures, Entertainment Technology & Services, and Imaging & Sensing Solutions.
So basically, it’s more accurate to call them an entertainment company rather than an electronics company. Content businesses (including gaming) actually make up more than half of Sony Group’s revenue now.
Gaming: The Real Money Maker
Gaming business revenue is about ¥4.67 trillion with operating profit of ¥410 billion – that’s one-third of the entire group! Beyond PlayStation 5 hardware sales, their subscription services for PlayStation are really driving growth.
Subscription revenue is super stable, which is why investors love this part of the business.
Music: The Quietly Amazing Rights Business
The music business is actually incredible too. Sony manages 6.24 million songs as of March 2024 (up from 5.76 million in March 2023) – that’s the world’s largest collection! Every time these songs get used in movies, TV shows, or played on streaming services, Sony gets paid. It’s basically a “passive income” business model.
Their music catalog has grown 70% over the past 10 years, so this asset just keeps building up.
Movies & Anime: Riding the Demon Slayer Wave
In the movie business, the latest “Demon Slayer” anime film made ¥12.9 billion in just 10 days and became the fastest Japanese film to hit ¥10 billion. Pretty insane!
What’s cool is that Aniplex, which produced “Demon Slayer,” was born from combining Sony’s music and movie businesses. It’s a perfect example of how Sony’s different divisions work together.
Sony’s Mission: From Delivering to Creating Emotion
Sony Group’s Purpose is “Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.” This was established in 2019 to get all 110,000 employees worldwide moving in the same direction.
As the chairman put it: “In the 20th century, we contributed to delivering emotion through Walkman, color TVs, and CDs. In the 21st century, Sony wants to contribute to creating emotion.” So they’re shifting from “delivering emotion” to “creating emotion.”
The Founding Spirit Lives On
Sony actually has this “Founding Prospectus” from when the company started that still guides them today. It talks about building an “ideal factory where serious-minded technicians can exercise their technological skills to the highest level in a free, dynamic, and pleasant atmosphere” and “eliminating unfair profit-seeking, emphasizing substantial activities and planning, and not pursuing size for the sake of size.”
It’s pretty amazing that this 75-year-old spirit still lives on in their modern Purpose.
What Makes Sony Special
Unique Position in the Market
Sony Group is the only company in the world that operates at a global scale across all three major entertainment sectors: gaming, music, and movies. Being “the only one” is a huge advantage and puts them in a completely different position from Apple or Google.
Cross-Business Synergies
Sony created PlayStation by combining their music and electronics businesses. Instead of just having separate divisions, they create new value by mixing different businesses together.
Investing in IP (Intellectual Property)
Sony plans to invest ¥1.8 trillion in IP acquisitions through FY2027. By owning content rights, they’re building a long-term revenue foundation.
What’s Next: Metaverse and Mobility
Sony is positioning metaverse and mobility as their next growth areas. They’re partnering with Honda to start selling electric vehicles in 2025, exploring new forms of entertainment × technology.
Bottom Line: What Sony Really Is
So what is Sony Group today?
An entertainment-focused conglomerate that generates stable revenue through gaming, music, and movies while continuously building up IP (intellectual property) as long-term assets. They’re actually closer to companies like Disney or Netflix than the electronics company they used to be.
They’ve updated their founding spirit of “delivering emotion” for the modern era, now aiming to “create emotion” for people around the world.
Fusing technology with creativity to keep creating new value – that might be Sony’s real superpower.
