Sony's Spider-Man Breaks Box Office Records While Disney Benefits from Merchandise

The Spider-Man franchise has reached new heights with the opening of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' which earned an estimated $927 million globally, making it Sony's largest debut in history. This marks a significant milestone for the studio, which distributed and owned the theatrical rights to the film.

The economics behind this success are more complex, however. Disney, which co-produces the movie with Sony, retains 100% of merchandising revenue and takes a profit share. Disney also benefits from having a large audience primed for its upcoming December tentpole, 'Avengers: Doomsday.'

The deal between Sony and Disney has been in place since 2015, when Marvel Studios produced the first Spider-Man film with Tom Holland. The two studios have continued to collaborate on subsequent films, including the Sam Raimi trilogy and two Andrew Garfield movies.