Sony has announced that the online release of The Interview netted more than $15 million online revenue during the first four days.
Through Saturday, December 27, including all of its online distribution platforms, The Interview has been rented or purchased online more than two million times. Total consumer spending through Saturday for The Interview online was over $15 million. According to US press, about half the income was generated by Google Play and Google’s YouTube.
In addition to the strong turnout for its limited theatrical release over the holiday weekend in around 331 theatres, after only four days, The Interview already ranks as Sony Pictures number one online film of all time.
The Interview was made available online across the US on Christmas Eve to rent in HD on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video and the dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com at a price of $5.99.
The film was also available for purchase in HD for $14.99. Online distribution was expanded to Canada through Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video starting later that afternoon. Meanwhile, the movie is now also available on the US iTunes store.
The Interview is not available outside the US and Canada, but according to the TorrentFreak website international illegal downloads now have exceeded two million copies. Within days, the movie become the most pirated movie of the week in the Top 10 compiled by TorrentFreak.
