The claim: Disney bought Sony and Spider-Man
To produce Spider-Man movies, Disney-owned Marvel Studios has had to spin a complex web of licensing agreements with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Contracts between the two companies helped produce the “Spider-Man: Homecoming” series, as well as feature Spider-Man alongside The Avengers and Captain America.
But on social media, some claim that collaboration is over.
A meme published Aug. 18 on the Marvel News Feed Facebook page claims Disney has purchased Sony Pictures, gaining exclusive rights to Spider-Man in the process.
In the meme, one person asks, “How did you manage to buy Spiderman from Sony?” Another person labeled as Disney says, “I bought Sony.”
The meme, which is similar to a popular thread in the r/memes subreddit in late May, accumulated more than 15,000 shares within 10 days. Some commenters interpreted the meme as a joke, while others questioned whether the claim was true.
It’s not.
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Disney doesn’t own Sony Pictures or the film rights to Spider-Man. However, Disney has had Spider-Man merchandising rights since 2011.
USA TODAY reached out to the Marvel News Feed Facebook page for comment.
Sony Pictures owns film rights, Disney owns merchandising rights
Sony Pictures owns the film rights to Spider-Man, while Disney owns Spider-Man merchandising rights. None of Disney’s recent agreements with Sony have changed that agreement.
Sony Pictures is a subsidiary of the Sony Group Corp. In May, Sony Group CEO Yoshida Kenichiro told the Financial Times that Sony wasn’t considering selling its film and television arm.
However, Sony and Disney have struck several Spider-Man-related deals over the years.
In 1999, Sony bought the film rights to Spider-Man from Marvel Studios, according to the Wall Street Journal. The deal stipulated that Marvel would earn 5% of movie revenue and the companies would split profits from Spider-Man merchandise.
In 2009, Disney purchased Marvel Studios. Two years later, the company bought 100% of Spider-Man merchandising rights back from Sony and gave up its 5% stake in box office profits. The deal gave Sony financial and creative control of Spider-Man films, while Disney made millions from Spider-Man toys and Disneyland rides.
Additional agreements between the two companies laid the groundwork for profit-sharing and other collaborations on standalone Spider-Man and Marvel films.
More:Disney+’s ‘What If…?’ reimagines the Marvel movie universe
The companies’ most recent agreement, announced April 22, grants Disney temporary streaming rights to Spider-Man films. However, the deal didn’t transfer ownership of Spider-Man film rights.
Our rating: False
The claim that Disney bought Sony and Spider-Man is FALSE, based on our research. The Sony Group owns Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has owned the exclusive film rights to Spider-Man since 1999. Disney-owned Marvel Studios has owned merchandising rights for Spider-Man since 2011. None of the companies’ recent deals have changed that agreement.
Our fact-check sources:
- Digital Spy, May 4, Marvel movie characters that other studios actually own
- Giant Freakin’ Robot, Aug. 19, Exclusive: Disney Considering Buyout of Sony for Spider-Man Characters (archived)
- Inside the Magic, Aug. 19, Disney Reportedly Wants to Buy Out Sony for “Spider-Man” Rights (archived)
- The Observer, Aug. 20, No, Disney Isn’t Buying Sony. Here’s Why It’d Make No Sense.
- User demex-, May 22, Post in r/memes
- Sony Pictures Entertainment, April 21, Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment Announce Unprecedented Post-Pay 1 Content Licensing Agreement
- Sony Pictures Entertainment, accessed Aug. 24, Divisions
- USA TODAY, Aug. 20, 2019, No more Spider-Man in Marvel movies? Here’s what you need to know
- Financial Times, May 26, Sony chief says film studio not for sale as Amazon buys MGM
- Variety, May 26, Sony Pictures Not for Sale, Says Sony CEO Yoshida Kenichiro
- The Verge, April 21, Disney inks a huge Sony deal to bring Spider-Man and other films to Disney Plus and Hulu
- Vox, March 20, 2019, Here’s what Disney owns after the massive Disney/Fox merger
- The Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2017, ‘Spider-Man:’ A $175 Million Commercial for Disney Toys
- The Walt Disney Company, Dec. 31, 2009, Disney Completes Marvel Acquisition
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