With ‘Uncharted’ and ‘Spider-Man’ on Top of VOD Charts, Sony Looks Good Without a Streamer

Sony ruled for another week as “Uncharted” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (both 19.99) each had #1 showings: The video game adaptation is #1 at iTunes and Vudu, while the massive Marvel hit took top spot at Google Play.This reinforces the strategic wisdom of two Sony decisions: the extended theatrical window for both films (far longer than the now-standard 45 days) and relying on PVOD rather than the increasingly costly and competitive realm of in-house streaming.

It also maintains flexibility, with the Marvel underachiever “Morbius” arriving on PVOD release May 17.

Sony seems to key its releases to when theatrical viability wanes.Tomorrow will see “The Lost City” (Paramount/19.99) on PVOD and Paramount+.

As with “The Batman,” the studio’s PR announcement pushed streaming.

The Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum romantic adventure could make the 100 million domestic mark (94 million through the weekend), which can deotermine film rental settlements with theaters.Both “Bad Guys” (Universal) and

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