No Result
View All Result
SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES
  • Login
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
TheAdviserMagazine.com
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal
No Result
View All Result
TheAdviserMagazine.com
No Result
View All Result
Home Market Research Business

Sony sold Netflix the rights to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ in a pandemic-era safety play—and now it’s Netflix’s biggest movie ever

by TheAdviserMagazine
1 month ago
in Business
Reading Time: 5 mins read
A A
Sony sold Netflix the rights to ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ in a pandemic-era safety play—and now it’s Netflix’s biggest movie ever
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LInkedIn



Netflix has a monster hit on its hands, and it’s not what anyone expected. KPop Demon Hunters, an animated film about a K-pop girl group who are also demon hunters, has officially become Netflix’s most-watched movie ever with 236 million views, dethroning the previous record-holder Red Notice and its 230.9 million views. The milestone comes just 67 days after the film’s June 20 debut, making it one of the fastest climbs to the top of Netflix’s all-time charts.

KPop Demon Hunters isn’t just breaking movie-streaming records: Four songs from its soundtrack are currently sitting in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 at the same time, something that has actually never happened in the chart’s 67-year history. (“Golden” holds the #1 spot, “Your Idol” sits at #4, “Soda Pop” is at #5, and “How It’s Done” landed at #10, since you asked.) And when Netflix decided to test the waters with a sing-along theatrical release last weekend, the film earned an estimated $18-20 million at the box office across roughly 1,700 theaters, despite being available to stream at home.

The success has been so overwhelming Netflix and Sony are already in early talks for a sequel. For Netflix, this represents the kind of breakout animated franchise the company has been chasing for years. But for Sony Pictures Animation, which created the film, the story is more complicated—and potentially represents one of the biggest missed opportunities in recent Hollywood history.

The making of the KPop Demon Hunters phenomenon

Sony Pictures Animation developed KPop Demon Hunters with a reported production budget of around $100 million, positioning it as a significant bet on the global appeal of both K-pop culture and supernatural adventure. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film follows the fictional girl group Huntr/X as they battle demons while maintaining their pop-star careers. There’s a rival boy band called Saja Boys… you can imagine where this is going.

The creative gamble, so far, has paid off in surprising ways. The film’s soundtrack didn’t just complement the story—it became a genuine musical phenomenon, with “Golden” becoming the eighth K-pop song to hit #1 on the Hot 100, the first time a song from an animated movie reached that spot since “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto, and the first to feature female artists.

So far, the film has sustained its momentum. KPop Demon Hunters has now spent 10 consecutive weeks at #1 on Netflix’s movie charts, adding 25.4 million views in just the most recent week tracked. That kind of staying power is rare for any Netflix original, let alone an obscure animated film that isn’t from an established IP.

Sony’s deal—and what it walked away with

Obviously, KPop Demon Hunters is massive for Netflix. And Sony actually made the movie, so it should be equally massive for them, too, right? Well, not so much. Despite spending roughly $100 million to create what became a global phenomenon, Sony Pictures is expected to net only about $20 million in profit from what is potentially a billion-dollar franchise in KPop Demon Hunters; basically, a fraction of the upside. The reason lies in a 2021 distribution deal Sony struck with Netflix, designed to guarantee returns during the uncertain pandemic era.

According to Puck‘s Matthew Belloni, Sony agreed to a “direct-to-platform” arrangement where Netflix would pay back the film’s production budget plus an additional fee capped at $20 million per project. In exchange, Netflix retained all rights to the property and owes no additional profit participation, even as the film becomes a massive hit. This wasn’t Sony shopping around a finished film; Netflix essentially funded the production while Sony handled the creative work.

At the time, the deal made sense. Theaters were still recovering from pandemic closures, animated films were struggling at the box office, and Sony lacked its own major streaming platform. The arrangement guaranteed Sony would make a profit without risking a theatrical flop. But nobody—not even Netflix executives—predicted KPop Demon Hunters would become as big as it did.

To understand the magnitude of what Netflix acquired, consider what Red Notice represented for the platform. That 2021 action film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot held Netflix’s top spot for nearly four years, with its 230.9 million views becoming the benchmark for Netflix success.

KPop Demon Hunters blew past that number, but it also demonstrated something Red Notice couldn’t achieve: franchise potential. The film’s soundtrack success alone opens up revenue streams that most Netflix originals can’t touch. A reminder: four simultaneous Billboard top 10 hits. And the success of the theatrical sing-along experiment provides another data point for Netflix (and Netflix loves its data points). Netting $18 to $20 million in a single weekend across 1,700 theaters—roughly half the number of theaters a blockbuster release would get—suggests real audience demand for communal experiences around the franchise, which is promising if Netflix is looking at expanding into more physical spaces.

The missed opportunity for Sony

Had Sony kept the rights to KPop Demon Hunters, the company would be sitting on something potentially worth billions. But what truly acts as salt in the wound, and perhaps some form of cruel irony, is that last September, Sony’s own chief financial officer said this in an interview with the Financial Times:

“Whether it’s for games, films or anime, we don’t have that much IP that we fostered from the beginning,” said Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki. “We’re lacking the early phase [of IP] and that’s an issue for us.”

Sony has been candid about its struggles to develop lasting entertainment franchises beyond Spider-Man. Company executives have acknowledged the studio needs more original intellectual property fostered from the beginning—exactly what KPop Demon Hunters represents. Instead, Sony now watches Netflix leverage the property for sequels, merchandise, and much more.

The numbers make the missed opportunity even starker. For context, Netflix reportedly paid $465 million to acquire the rights to Seinfeld reruns. KPop Demon Hunters is an original property that has already proven global appeal, demonstrated theatrical viability, and created genuine music hits. The $20 million Sony will earn looks modest against that backdrop.

Early sequel talks and what’s next

The speed with which Netflix and Sony entered sequel discussions tells its own story. When a property breaks platform records, generates chart-topping music, and proves theatrical demand all within two months, the economics become clear quickly. Netflix wants to strike while the iron’s hot, and there’s a lot of potential for a KPop Demon Hunters universe.

For Sony, the sequel represents both vindication and frustration. The studio proved it could create a global hit, but the financial upside flows primarily to Netflix. While Sony retains the right to produce future installments, the terms of any new deals remain to be negotiated—and Netflix now holds most of the leverage.

The broader lesson extends beyond this single film. In an industry where intellectual property increasingly drives long-term value, the difference between owning a hit and creating one for someone else can be measured in billions. KPop Demon Hunters will likely generate revenue for Netflix across multiple films, series, consumer products, and live experiences for years to come. Sony, meanwhile, will move on to the next project, hoping lightning strikes twice.

For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing. 



Source link

Tags: biggestdemonHuntersitsNetflixsMovieNetflixthePandemicEraplayandrightssafetysoldSonytoKPop
ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Carrefour Israel swings to profit despite debt

Next Post

Even as China’s economy suffers, stocks soar. What’s going on?

Related Posts

edit post
Nearly 70% of Americans think the economy is on the ‘wrong track’ and it’s a bad time to buy a home, Fannie Mae survey shows

Nearly 70% of Americans think the economy is on the ‘wrong track’ and it’s a bad time to buy a home, Fannie Mae survey shows

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

A growing sense of economic pessimism is taking hold in the U.S., as new Fannie Mae survey data reveals nearly...

edit post
Vijay Kedia buys on dips, acquires Rs 11 crore stake in smallcap company via bulk deal

Vijay Kedia buys on dips, acquires Rs 11 crore stake in smallcap company via bulk deal

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

Marquee investor Vijay Kedia picked up stake worth Rs 11 crore in Gujarat-based Eimco Elecon (India) on Tuesday via a...

edit post
Why small-cap stocks are starting to see earnings growth after best quarter since 2021

Why small-cap stocks are starting to see earnings growth after best quarter since 2021

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

The tickers might not be as exciting as the big tech behemoths dominating headlines, but small-cap stocks in the Russell...

edit post
The public company isn’t dead, it’s misunderstood

The public company isn’t dead, it’s misunderstood

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

Record levels of private capital and the recent and rapid rise of VC-funded unicorns suggest to some that public markets...

edit post
Dow Jones Futures: Cheap Tesla Model Y On Tap? AppLovin Tries To Bounce

Dow Jones Futures: Cheap Tesla Model Y On Tap? AppLovin Tries To Bounce

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

Dow Jones futures edged higher early Tuesday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. Tesla and AppLovin were in...

edit post
Entrepreneur says Goldman Sachs once gave him 39 separate interviews to land the job—and the decisive conversation was less than a minute

Entrepreneur says Goldman Sachs once gave him 39 separate interviews to land the job—and the decisive conversation was less than a minute

by TheAdviserMagazine
October 7, 2025
0

Sharran Srivatsaa, president of Acquisition.com and a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, recently shared a story on TikTok about how...

Next Post
edit post
Even as China’s economy suffers, stocks soar. What’s going on?

Even as China’s economy suffers, stocks soar. What’s going on?

edit post
How Vertical Co-Op Advertising Helps Manufacturers Maximize Brand Impact

How Vertical Co-Op Advertising Helps Manufacturers Maximize Brand Impact

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
edit post
What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

What Happens If a Spouse Dies Without a Will in North Carolina?

September 14, 2025
edit post
Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

Does a Will Need to Be Notarized in North Carolina?

September 8, 2025
edit post
California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

California May Reimplement Mask Mandates

September 5, 2025
edit post
DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

DACA recipients no longer eligible for Marketplace health insurance and subsidies

September 11, 2025
edit post
‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

‘Quiet luxury’ is coming for the housing market, The Corcoran Group CEO says. It’s not just the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami anymore

September 9, 2025
edit post
Tips to Apply for Mental Health SSDI Without Therapy

Tips to Apply for Mental Health SSDI Without Therapy

September 19, 2025
edit post
Q3 2025 Market Update

Q3 2025 Market Update

0
edit post
Equity and Bond Correlations: Higher Than Assumed?

Equity and Bond Correlations: Higher Than Assumed?

0
edit post
Keurig Prime Day Deals | Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker only  shipped, plus more! {Prime Day Deal}

Keurig Prime Day Deals | Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker only $42 shipped, plus more! {Prime Day Deal}

0
edit post
Startup Battlefield company ÄIO invented a method to make edible fat from ag waste like sawdust

Startup Battlefield company ÄIO invented a method to make edible fat from ag waste like sawdust

0
edit post
Have CX Programs Lost the Plot? The Risky Game of Survey Score Inflation

Have CX Programs Lost the Plot? The Risky Game of Survey Score Inflation

0
edit post
Overcoming Perfectionism Burnout While Still Serving Clients Well With A Standard Of “Calm Excellence”: #FASuccess Ep 458 With Lisa Brown

Overcoming Perfectionism Burnout While Still Serving Clients Well With A Standard Of “Calm Excellence”: #FASuccess Ep 458 With Lisa Brown

0
edit post
Keurig Prime Day Deals | Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker only  shipped, plus more! {Prime Day Deal}

Keurig Prime Day Deals | Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker only $42 shipped, plus more! {Prime Day Deal}

October 7, 2025
edit post
Q3 2025 Market Update

Q3 2025 Market Update

October 7, 2025
edit post
Have CX Programs Lost the Plot? The Risky Game of Survey Score Inflation

Have CX Programs Lost the Plot? The Risky Game of Survey Score Inflation

October 7, 2025
edit post
Mises on Separating Morality and State

Mises on Separating Morality and State

October 7, 2025
edit post
Startup Battlefield company ÄIO invented a method to make edible fat from ag waste like sawdust

Startup Battlefield company ÄIO invented a method to make edible fat from ag waste like sawdust

October 7, 2025
edit post
Nearly 70% of Americans think the economy is on the ‘wrong track’ and it’s a bad time to buy a home, Fannie Mae survey shows

Nearly 70% of Americans think the economy is on the ‘wrong track’ and it’s a bad time to buy a home, Fannie Mae survey shows

October 7, 2025
The Adviser Magazine

The first and only national digital and print magazine that connects individuals, families, and businesses to Fee-Only financial advisers, accountants, attorneys and college guidance counselors.

CATEGORIES

  • 401k Plans
  • Business
  • College
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Economy
  • Estate Plans
  • Financial Planning
  • Investing
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Legal
  • Market Analysis
  • Markets
  • Medicare
  • Money
  • Personal Finance
  • Social Security
  • Startups
  • Stock Market
  • Trading

LATEST UPDATES

  • Keurig Prime Day Deals | Keurig K-Mini Coffee Maker only $42 shipped, plus more! {Prime Day Deal}
  • Q3 2025 Market Update
  • Have CX Programs Lost the Plot? The Risky Game of Survey Score Inflation
  • Our Great Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use, Legal Notices & Disclosures
  • Contact us
  • About Us

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Financial Planning
    • Financial Planning
    • Personal Finance
  • Market Research
    • Business
    • Investing
    • Money
    • Economy
    • Markets
    • Stocks
    • Trading
  • 401k Plans
  • College
  • IRS & Taxes
  • Estate Plans
  • Social Security
  • Medicare
  • Legal

© Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved
See articles for original source and related links to external sites.