The Interview generates more than $15 million in online sales

By Rick Marshall December 29, 2014

The Interview — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The saga of The Interview continued over the holiday weekend, with Sony announcing that the online release netted more than $15 million in revenue through Saturday.

After having its release canceled due to terrorist threats, The Interview eventually received an online release and screenings in a small number of theaters around the country beginning December 24. Along with the limited theater release, the film was made available on YouTube, Google Play Store, Microsoft’s Xbox Live network, and the standalone site SeeTheInterview.com.

It was also made available on iTunes today (December 29).

According to Sony, more than half the online revenue came from the Google Play Store and YouTube (both owned by Google), and after being limited to U.S. residents in its first few days, the online release was later expanded to Canada. Sony reports that the film has been downloaded or streamed more than 2 million times so far.

The 331 theaters that screened the film generated significantly less revenue, with a reported $2.8 million in ticket sales. Many of the larger theater chains declined to screen the film due to Sony’s decision to make it available online on the same day as the theatrical release.

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