LAS VEGAS _ At a prominent tech event known for hawking new televisions and the latest flashy gadgets, Sony Corp. executives put the company's content, including its movies and music, on center stage.
"Sony's vision is to be a creative entertainment company, creating and maximizing communities of interest," Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "To do that, you need to have not only outstanding technology but strong entertainment content and lasting intellectual property."
The emphasis comes at a time when media companies are in a fierce battle over original content and audiences. Entertainment rivals such as Walt Disney Co. are building their own streaming platforms, while tech giants such as Apple and Amazon are heavily investing in original content to entice people to join their subscription services.
Japanese-owned Sony is in a unique position because it manufactures hardware such as televisions, has a streaming video and game distribution platform through its PlayStation consoles, and produces movies such as the hit "Venom," which earned more than $855 million in ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo.
"It's a battle royale for content," said Daniel Ives, a managing director of equity research for Wedbush Securities. "Sony realizes that (and it's saying), 'Don't forget about us, we're here to stay.'"
Sony announced that the number of monthly active users has grown to more than 90 million on its PlayStation Network, a platform that enables people to stream movies, TV and music, as well as play games. That could provide an established distribution platform for its content, something that some competing entertainment companies don't have.
Sony Pictures has been enjoying some recent success with its movies, including "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," which won a Golden Globe for best animated feature. The studio had struggled in the past and has been able to capitalize on its intellectual property surrounding Marvel characters, including Spider-Man and Venom.
During the 45-minute CES talk, company executives emphasized how Sony technology helps enable filmmakers and musical artists to be more creative. They noted that eight Sony TV productions are using the company's Venice digital cameras. On the film side, director Ang Lee used a Sony F65 camera for "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk."
"Sony is used from the content creation to the delivery in their craft in the highest possible quality across the globe," said Sony Corp. Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida. "We partner with creators because we believe in their dreams to move people emotionally."
While tying the company's electronics division with its content side makes sense, some analysts noted Sony has struggled to make synergies work in the past.
"It's not just laying out the blueprint, it's execution that's going to be the key," Ives said.
