Hollywood
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ seduces box office with $239.7 million
MUMBAI: Universal Pictures’ erotica movie Fifty Shades of Grey has seduced the global box office with stupendous collections of $ 239.7 million in its opening weekend.
According to Rentrak’s box office estimates for the weekend of 15 February, 2015, the movie collected a whopping $81.7 million at the box office in North America.
Rentrak senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, “Universal’s erotic drama Fifty Shades of Grey felt the love from audiences as it earned a whopping $239.7 million around the globe this weekend. Generating an impressive $158 million in 58 international territories (and $81.7 million in North America), this is Universal’s second biggest international opening weekend ever behind Fast & Furious 6 at $160.3 million. Also impressive is the super cool Kingsman: The Secret Service from Fox that in its second weekend internationally took no prisoners with $23.1 million in 38 territories. This combined with the $35.6 million it earned in its North American debut gives Kingsman $58.7 million for the weekend and a worldwide total to date of nearly $80 million.”
The top 12 worldwide weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, 15 February, 2015, are below:
1. Fifty Shades Of Grey – $239.7 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – $58.7 million
3. Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out Of Water – $44 million
4. Somewhere Only We Know – $30 million
5. Jupiter Ascending – $25 million
6. American Sniper – $20.1 million
7. Big Hero 6 – $9.9 million
8. Taken 3 – $8.3 million
9. The Imitation Game – $7.5 million
10. Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb – $7.1 million
11. Detective K: The Laborer’s Daughter – $6.2 million
12. Paddington – $5.1 million
The top 12 North American weekend box office estimates, listed in descending order, per data collected as of Sunday, 15 February, 2015, are below:
1. Fifty Shades Of Grey – $81.7 million
2. Kingsman: The Secret Service – $35.6 million
3. Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out Of Water – $30.5 million
4. American Sniper – $16.4 million
5. Jupiter Ascending – $9.4 million
6. Seventh Son – $4.2 million
7. Paddington – $4.1 million
8. The Imitation Game – $3.5 million
9. The Wedding Ringer – $3.4 million
10. Project Almanac – $2.7 million
11. Black Or White – $2.6 million
12. The Boy Next Door – $1.8 million
Hollywood
Disney sells out ad slots for 98th Oscars broadcast
Strong demand for live events turns the Academy Awards into a global, multi-platform marketing moment
NEW YORK: Hollywood’s biggest night has also become one of advertising’s hottest tickets. Disney has sold out all advertising inventory for the 98th Oscars, underscoring the growing demand from brands eager to ride the cultural wave of major live events.
The sell-out marks the sixth consecutive live tentpole success for Disney Advertising. The streak includes last year’s 97th Oscars, the 59th Annual CMA Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest, signalling strong appetite among marketers for moments that bring audiences together in real time.
For advertisers, the Oscars are no longer just a single night of glitz and gold statues. Disney’s “Content Everywhere” strategy has expanded the awards show into a sprawling, multi-platform brand playground spanning linear television, streaming, social media and digital content.
“Live continues to be one of the most powerful ways for brands to connect with engaged audiences at scale, and the Oscars represent the very best of culture, creativity and community,” said Disney Advertising SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions John Campbell. He added that the company has reshaped the show’s commercial potential into a connected experience that stretches well beyond the broadcast.
Brands such as Mazda, Pfizer and Volkswagen of America are tapping into Disney’s wider ecosystem, appearing across original content segments including Know Your Movies on Hulu and Critically Acclaimed on Disney+. Partnerships also extend to social media through TikTok Pulse Premiere and to custom brand storytelling created by Disney CreativeWorks.
The result is what Disney calls the “Oscars Everywhere” approach. Rather than a few high-profile ad breaks, advertisers now find themselves woven through a series of moments before, during and after the ceremony.
These include On The Red Carpet at The Oscars, a live pre-show syndicated across major local markets and streamed nationwide, and the After the Oscars Show, which keeps the conversation going once the final award has been handed out.
This year’s sponsors include Rolex, returning for its ninth year, and Burger King, which joins the Oscars advertiser roster for the first time. Other brands in the mix include Disney Cruise Line, Dunkin’, Eli Lilly and Company, Eucerin, Intuit TurboTax, L’Oréal, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Miebo, Paris Baguette, Peacock, Starbucks, State Farm, Toyota and Verizon.
The 98th Oscars will take place on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony will be broadcast live on ABC and streamed on Hulu, reaching audiences in more than 200 territories worldwide.
