News

Sanrio, Pokémon Company, Toei, More Listed as Top 150 Global Licensors of 2020

License Global magazine released its Top 150 Global Licensors in 2020 list on Thursday. The report is "collated from the world's most powerful brands and is based on prior-year sales of licensed merchandise, spanning all consumer product segments."

The following companies ranked in the top 150 with retail sales amounts for 2019:

• Sanrio at #10 with US$4.4 billion
• The Pokémon Company International at #11 with US$4.2 billion
• Toei Animation at #14 with US$3.9 billion
• Spin Master at #37 with US$1.8 billion
• TOHO at #79 with US$403.5 million
• 4K Media at #89 with US$300 million
• Viz Media at #90 with US$282 million
• Funimation at #110 with US$200 million
• Crunchyroll at #122 with US$150 million
• Sega of America at #146 with US$73.8 million

The report noted that one of the key drivers of The Pokémon Company International's growth was the release of the live-action Pokémon Detective Pikachu film in 2019. The film generated US$430 million in revenue and opened up licensing opportunities with other top companies on the list such as Mattel, according to the report. The report also noted that The Pokémon Company International continued to dominate the mobile gaming field with releases related to Pokémon GO, had success in collaborations with designers and clothing brands, and achieved further growth with licensing and retail programs related to the Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield games. The report noted that Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield are the fifth-best-selling titles on the Nintendo Switch console with more than 16.06 million units sold.

Toei Animation has released more than 12,569 episodes of 220 television series, as well as more than 239 theatrical features, according to the report. The Dragon Ball franchise accounts for more than half of its sales. One Piece is the next highest-selling franchise for the company.

One of the several factors noted amongst the contributors to Sanrio's success was its collaboration with Funimation, a new entrant on the list. The report stated Funimation's top licensed franchises as Attack on Titan, Cowboy Bebop, My Hero Academia, Tokyo Ghoul, Fairy Tail, and Dragon Ball. TOHO is also a new entrant on the list.

The report noted that Viz Media's properties appear in all product categories in the past year, including books, DVD and Blu-ray Discs, video games, mobile games, apparel, toys, luggage, and accessories. Viz Media's top licensed property in 2019 was the Naruto franchise.

The Walt Disney Company topped the 2020 list with retail sales of US$54.7 billion.

Sources: Email correspondence, License Global