Sony Music Entertainment’s sales rose sharply in the quarter ending June, helped by renewed demand for Michael Jackson’s catalogue following the release of the Lionsgate biopic *Michael*. The result contrasts with a comparatively quiet period for Sony Pictures’ cinema releases in North America, although the film division still increased operating income.

Sony Music sales climbed 22% year on year to 557.9 billion yen ($3.5 billion), with *Thriller* and *Bad* among its ten best-selling recorded-music projects. Sony Pictures’ revenue fell 13% to $1.98 billion, as theatrical sales reached only $30 million—about $100 million below the previous year—while television sales fell 32% to $571 million because fewer series were delivered; operating income nevertheless rose 21% to $156 million.