Sony Pictures, along with the rest of Sony, has had a really rough few years: a string of flops and a dearth of commercial or critical success. If this Bond flops as well, how badly would it affect Sony, considering how they only distribute it rather than own it?
Considering what a critical flop Pixels was, Sony must be on their knees praying for Spectre to be a huge hit.
Interesting trivium I learned from a Pixels review: The character and game Q*Bert is owned by Sony Pictures because Columbia bought the rights to it before Sony bought Columbia. So there is a Sony Pictures gaming IP not owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.