Most Valuable Media Franchises in the World
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A celebration from the Pokémon Sword and Shield video game.A talking rabbit. A cat wearing a bow and no mouth. A hungry yellow circle.
Some of the most popular media franchises today started out as the simplest of ideas. Over time, they’ve grown into iconic brands that move billions of dollars in sales each year, from the box office to the bookstore and everywhere in-between.
You will recognize some of these media franchises. Others may not be so familiar. But what might surprise you is just how much revenue they move annually and how much they’ve sold over their lifetime. These are the highest-grossing (and most successful) media franchises in the world.
50. Star Trek
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Year launched: 1966
Original media: TV show
Media today: TV shows, toys, video games, books, comics, apparel, movies
Total estimated revenue: $10.8 billion
Bottom line: "Star Trek" started out as a simple, low-buck, unpopular television show that was canceled after three seasons. But it grew into something much larger than it could ever hope for.
After finding an audience through syndication in the 1970s, the show picked up enough steam for a series of action figures produced by Mego. In 1987, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was released and became the most popular "Star Trek" series.
So popular, that CBS brought back Captain Jean-Luc Picard for "Star Trek: Picard" in 2020.
A note on sources: This article references a Wikipedia page. While there is no one authoritative source on the subject of highest-grossing media franchises, the Wikipedia article does provide ample sources that we checked. One franchise, "Space Invaders," was not included on our list due to a lack of verifiable sources. It was originally number 40.
48.(t) Electronic Arts' FIFA
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Year launched: 1993
Original media: Video game without microtransactions
Media today: Video game rife with microtransactions
Total estimated revenue: $11.5 billion
Bottom line: Electronic Arts' FIFA franchise is a money-making machine — mainly because of its now-ubiquitous microtransactions.
EA made nearly $1 billion in microtransactions in Q4 2019 across all of its platforms, with "FIFA 20" leading the pack in subscription services and engagement.
The video game company based in Redwood City, California, now is being sued in France, with lawyers arguing that its Ultimate Team mode in FIFA is akin to gambling.
48.(t) Street Fighter
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Year launched: 1987
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, a movie, anime, comic books
Total estimated revenue: $11.5 billion
Bottom line: Capcom’s "Street Fighter" franchise started as a simple arcade video game and grew into one of the most popular fighting games on the planet.
The "Street Fighter" video game series has led Capcom into the increasingly popular esports scene, with Street Fighter League and the Capcom Cup leading their esports division.
And the 1994 "Street Fighter" movie was so bad, it’s good (no sequels are planned, unfortunately).
47. Ultraman
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Year launched: 1966
Original media: Television show
Media today: Movies, cartoons and anime, toys, comics
Total estimated revenue: $11.6 billion
Bottom line: "Ultraman" is an ultra-successful Japanese franchise that revolves around giant good-guy aliens fighting giant bad-guy monsters.
The original 1966 show has spawned so many shows that it was awarded the "Guinness Book of World Records" title for "TV series with the most spin-offs" in 2013, with 27 "Ultraman"-related titles.
There are even more now, including a 2019 Netflix series.
45.(t) Warcraft
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Year launched: 1994
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, movies, toys, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $11.7 billion
Bottom line: Blizzard Entertainment struck gold when it released "Warcraft" in 1994 as a real-time strategy PC game. But it didn’t truly hit mega-millions until the release of "World of Warcraft" in 2004, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, which attracted millions of paid subscribers.
More recently, Blizzard partnered with Universal Pictures to release the movie "Warcraft," which made $439 million on a $160 million budget.
In 2019, the gaming studio released "World of Warcraft Classic," a recreation of the original WoW experience, to attract lapsed players.
45.(t) Superman
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Year launched: 1938
Original media: Comic book
Media today: Comics, big-budget films, small-budget animated movies, television shows, video games, toys and various merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $11.7 billion
Bottom line: DC’s man of steel is perhaps the most iconic superhero ever made.
One of DC’s major sources of revenue ever since his 1938 debut, Superman has been in nine feature films as a main or central character.
And Superman merchandise is anything DC can slap the red "S" on.
44. CrossFire
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Year launched: 2007
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video game
Total estimated revenue: $12 billion
Bottom line: No, not the board game from the 1970s. "CrossFire" is a competitive first-person shooter video game that’s super popular in China and South Korea.
The game has 650 million players worldwide.
43. Final Fantasy
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Year launched: 1987
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, card games, movies, cartoons and anime, comic books, manga, books, toys, various merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $12.2 billion
Bottom line: The "Final Fantasy" series started off as a role-playing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which was released in Japan in 1987 and hit North American stores in 1990.
The series gained steam and became a favorite among role-playing game (RPG) enthusiasts and reached new heights of popularity in 1997 with the release of "Final Fantasy VII."
The franchise is mainly a video game one, now with numerous titles across many genres, but it also draws revenue from its expanded universe of comics and books.
42. Dragon Quest
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Year launched: 1986
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, manga, anime and movie
Total estimated revenue: $12.9 billion
Bottom line: The "Dragon Quest" franchise draws its vast amount of revenue from both video games and long-running manga comics.
The game enjoys the majority of its popularity in Japan, although its "Dragon Quest" video games have been published for virtually every gaming system, including smartphones.
40.(t) Dungeon Fighter Online
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Year launched: 2005
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video game
Total estimated revenue: $13.4 billion
Bottom line: Dungeon Fighter Online is a beat 'em up video game popular in Korea and China and hasn’t yet lost steam.
In 2018, the online video game hit 600 million users worldwide.
And its 2018 revenue stream was second to "Fortnite" and higher than "Pokemon Go."
40.(t) Frozen
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Year launched: 2013
Original media: Feature movie
Media today: Movies, live theater, various merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $13.4 billion
Bottom line: If you have kids, you’ve seen "Frozen" many, many, many, many, many, many times.
The super-successful Disney property has made over $2.3 billion at the box office with just two movies, which have driven at least $10.6 billion in merchandise sales.
"Frozen" drove $5 billion in merchandising sales the same year the movie debuted.
39. Sailor Moon
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Year launched: 1991
Original media: Manga
Media today: Manga, video games, anime, cartoon shows
Total estimated revenue: $14.3 billion
Bottom line: Revenue from the "Sailor Moon" franchise is almost entirely made up of its merchandising sales, which hit $13 billion in 2014.
Its home entertainment makes up most of the rest — the series has had several long-running television series — along with manga comics.
38. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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Year launched: 1984
Original media: Comic book
Media today: Feature movies, cartoon shows, toys, video games
Total estimated revenue: $14.6 billion
Bottom line: "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" started as a violent black-and-white graphic novel but was quickly adapted into a kid-friendly cartoon show and toy line by Playmates Toys.
By the late 1980s, TNMNT gear was everywhere. They were on backpacks, lunchboxes, Pez dispensers, breakfast cereals, even gelatin packaging.
The series is still printing money — albeit at a slightly slower pace — with a new cartoon, "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which airs on Nickelodeon. TMNT retail sales were $714 million in 2018.
36.(t) Wii Series
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Year launched: 2006
Original media: Video games
Media today: Video games
Total estimated revenue: $14.8 billion
Bottom line: Although Wii games died with the phasing out of the Nintendo Wii, they still hold a special place in our hearts.
The Wii Sports game remains Nintendo’s highest-selling property with 82.88 million units sold (the game came bundled with the Wii).
Other Wii incarnations, like Mario Kart Wii, Wii Sports Resort and New Super Mario Bros Wii have sold over 100 million copies combined.
36.(t) SpongeBob SquarePants
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Year launched: 1999
Original media: Animated series
Media today: Cartoon show, a feature film and merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $14.8 billion
Bottom line: SpongeBob may live in a pineapple, but his media franchise is a money-making juggernaut.
While the show remains extremely popular on cable television, merchandising is where the real money is.
There are kid’s books, action figures, pillows, comforters, pencils, Mega Bloks toys and a host of apparel branded from everyone’s favorite yellow sponge from under the sea.
35. Looney Tunes
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Year launched: 1930
Original media: Animated cartoon
Media today: Movies, television shows, merchandising, video games
Total estimated revenue: $15 billion
Bottom line: We’re not sure about this one.
While the Looney Tunes characters have certainly driven hundreds of millions of dollars in sales for Warner Bros., this $15 billion number contains $6 billion from "Space Jam." Which is optimistic to say the least, although the movie did make a bunch of money.
The Chicago Tribune reported that "Space Jam" merchandise made Warner Bros. $1.2 billion as of 2009, but one "industry insider" said the film’s "global economic impact" could be as high as $6 billion, according to HuffPost.
34. Pac-Man
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Year launched: 1980
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, pachinko, music, television shows, merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $15.1 billion
Bottom line: A book, published in 1989, says that one estimate clocked the number of quarters inserted into Pac-Man machines at 7 billion coins by 1982.
Although the Pac-Man craze is long gone, the Pac-Man franchise remains alive and well. Pac-Man games have appeared on basically every console over the past 30 years, and several games are available for mobile devices.
33. Avengers
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Year launched: 1963
Original media: Comic book
Media today: Comics, feature films, toys, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $15.3 billion
Bottom line: The "Avengers" movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe have amassed $7.77 billion in ticket sales and billions in licensed merchandise.
According to The Licensing Letter, Avengers merchandise made Disney nearly $1.8 billion in sales in 2018 alone.
32. The Lion King
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Year launched: 1994
Original media: Feature film
Media today: Movies, musical theater, merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $15.4 billion
Bottom line: "The Lion King" is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. But surprisingly, all of those movies and merchandise only account for a bit less than half of the franchise's total revenue.
"The Lion King" is the best-selling Broadway play of all time, with over $8.1 billion in ticket sales as of 2017.
31. The Simpsons
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Year launched: 1987
Original media: Animated short
Media today: TV show, video game, oodles of merchandise, theme park, toys, feature film
Total estimated revenue: $15.6 billion
Bottom line: "The Simpsons" is now in its 31st season, with over 670 episodes.
Whether you think the show still has the magic it did during its initial 11 seasons or that it’s the zombified corpse of its former self, the show is still a cash cow for Fox.
Want to know more about the financials of "The Simpsons"? Check out our inside look at the show’s finances.
30. Dora the Explorer
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Year launched: 2000
Original media: Animated series
Media today: Animated series, live-action film, toys, backpacks and merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $15.8 billion
Bottom line: Dora the Explorer’s purple backpack is stuffed with cash.
As of 2014, the series made an astonishing $13 billion in retail sales, and a 2019 live-action movie, "Dora and the Lost City of Gold," raked in $120.6 million at the worldwide box office.
29. KochiKame
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Year launched: 1976
Original media: Manga
Media today: Manga, movies, stage adaptations, television series
Total estimated revenue: $16.3 billion
Bottom line: This Japanese police comedy franchise is one of the longest-running mangas ever, and it holds a Guinness World Record for having the most volumes published for a single manga series, with 200 volumes.
28. Neon Genesis Evangelion
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Year launched: 1994
Original media: Anime
Media today: Anime, video games, books, pachinko machines, films, music, mangas
Total estimated revenue: $16.6 billion
Bottom line: "Neon Genesis Evangelion" started as a Japanese anime show about giant mechs in a post-apocalyptic setting and exploded in popularity.
Surprisingly, the majority of this franchise’s revenue comes from Pachinko machines, with over 2.3 million machines sold bringing in an estimated $11.9 billion in revenue.
27. Power Rangers/Super Sentai
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Year launched: 1975
Original media: Television series
Media today: Television series, film, toys, video games, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $16.8 billion
Bottom line: We know them as the "Power Rangers" in the U.S., but they started off as "Super Sentai" in Japan, nearly 20 years before the show was adapted for Western audiences.
The "Super Sentai" and "Power Rangers" properties have 60 seasons of television shows between them and are still going strong.
26. Peanuts
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Year launched: 1950
Original media: Comic strip
Media today: Comic strip, musicals, television specials, feature film, books, merchandising, licensing
Total estimated revenue: $19.1 billion
Bottom line: The total revenue for "Peanuts" is likely higher than $19 billion. "Peanuts" has been making at least $1 billion a year in global revenue since 1999.
Merchandising is the main driver here, with Christmas ornaments, children’s books, pajamas, T-shirts, shoes, hats, Halloween costumes, peanut butter, stuffed animals, jewelry and stationery being just some examples of "Peanuts" branded items.
24.(t) James Bond
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Year launched: 1953
Original media: Novel
Media today: Feature films, video games, books, merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $19.9 billion
Bottom line: Daniel Craig may not quip the same one-liners in the new Bond films as his 007 predecessors — and the women aren’t quite so exotically named — but the James Bond series still manages to feel fresh.
The majority of the Bond franchise’s revenue comes from the box office, which has pulled in over $7 billion worldwide since the release of "Dr. No" in 1963.
24.(t) Middle-Earth/The Lord of the Rings
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Year launched: 1937
Original media: Novel
Media today: Feature-length films, television show, books, merchandise, licensing, toys
Total estimated revenue: $19.9 billion
Bottom line: And my axe! "The Hobbit" single-handedly started the fantasy genre over 80 years ago, and the Middle-earth franchise remains one of the oldest and most beloved series of all time.
The franchise’s three epic films amassed $10 billion in global box office sales and home video purchases, while the Tolkien estate is estimated to have sold $9.125 billion in books.
And interest in the franchise hasn’t waned a bit. Amazon’s "Lord of the Rings" show reportedly cost the company $250 million just for the rights.
23. Call of Duty
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Year launched: 2003
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games
Total estimated revenue: $20 billion
Bottom line: The "Call of Duty" series is one of the best-selling video games of all time, and regularly tops the charts when a new installment releases.
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" brought in $600 million in revenue in three days after it launched in 2019.
And that was before Activision-Blizzard implemented microtransactions.
22. Yu-Gi-Oh!
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Year launched: 1996
Original media: Manga
Media today: Card game, video games, manga, anime, movies, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $20.3 billion
Bottom line: The "Yu-Gi-Oh!" card game came to the market in 1999, and by 2011, it had sold over 25 billion cards (each pack contains nine cards for about $4).
The "Pokemon" competitor is still popular, although its billion-dollar years might be behind it.
21. One Piece
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Year launched: 1997
Original media: Manga
Media today: Video games, movies, mangas, anime
Total estimated revenue: $20.8 billion
Bottom line: "One Piece" is the best-selling manga in the world, with over 454 million copies sold.
It holds a Guinness Book of World Records title for being the most printed comic series by one single author.
20. Toy Story
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Year launched: 1995
Original media: Animated film
Media today: Movies, toys, short films, limited series, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $21.3 billion
Bottom line: "Toy Story" changed the animated movie industry when it launched in 1995 as the first all-CGI film.
There have only been four "Toy Story" films released in theaters over 25 years, but each one was a massive hit at the box office.
Overall, the "Toy Story" franchise has brought in $3 billion in global ticket sales and has moved around $17.6 billion in merchandise — and that’s before "Toy Story 4" released in 2019.
So this franchise is likely worth more than that $21.3 billion estimation.
19. Cars
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Year launched: 2006
Original media: Animated film
Media today: Animated films, television series, short films, spin-offs, video games, theme park rides, toys, licensing
Total estimated revenue: $21.8 billion
Bottom line: "Cars" has a motor with staying power.
Within five years of its release, before "Cars 2," the "Cars" franchise had made $10 billion in merchandising sales.
However, sales have slowed. "Cars 3" moved substantially lower amounts of merchandise, particularly from its Mattel "Cars" toy line.
18. Fist of the North Star
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Year launched: 1983
Original media: Manga
Media today: Pachinko and arcade machines, mangas, video games, movies, novels
Total estimated revenue: $22.5 billion
Bottom line: A super popular post-apocalyptic manga series, the "Fist of the North Star" original series ended in 1988 but has since spawned many other iterations, from books to movies.
But the franchise’s most lucrative income revenue comes from pachinko machines, grossing $2 billion after selling over 600,000 units in 2005.
Since then, around three million "Fist of the North Star" pachinko and similar Japanese arcade machines have been sold, with each one costing around $5,000.
17. Barbie
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Year launched: 1959
Original media: Doll
Media today: Books, movies, cosmetics, video games, direct-to-DVD videos, dolls and toys
Total estimated revenue: $24.7 billion
Bottom line: The dress-up doll from 1959 didn’t technically become a media franchise until the 1980s, when Barbie made her way into movies, video games, cosmetics and books.
Barbie sells between $900 million and $1.275 billion a year, according to Statista.
Some of those Barbie dolls are very expensive.
16. Dragon Ball
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Year launched: 1984
Original media: Manga
Media today: Manga, anime, video games, toys, movies, trading cards and merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $25 billion
Bottom line: The "Dragon Ball" series is one of the most popular anime and mangas in the world, with six anime series, several television specials and 20 movies released in Japanese theatres.
The series has an uber-successful video game series with installments dating back to the original NES to its current fighting game iterations for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
In 2018, its newest series, "Dragon Ball Super," pulled in $888 million in 2018.
15. Gundam
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Year launched: 1979
Original media: Anime
Media today: Anime, manga, novels, video games, movies, toys, plastic model robots
Total estimated revenue: $26 billion
Bottom line: Plastic model robots — called Gunpla — make up the vast majority of the plastic toy kit market in Japan and have sold over 500 million units since its initial launch in 1980.
The Gunpla alone make the "Gundam" franchise hundreds of millions of dollars each year and is its primary source of revenue.
14. Batman
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Year launched: 1939
Original media: Comic book
Media today: Comic books, movies, television shows, toys, video games, theme park rides, apparel and many kinds of merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $28 billion
Bottom line: Batman was DC’s highest-performing property at retail in 2018, selling $839 million worth of merchandise, according to The Licensing Letter. Which makes sense.
Batman is one of the coolest superheroes ever made and has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity thanks to the "Dark Knight" series, which kicked off the entire superhero craze.
13. Spider-Man
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Year launched: 1962
Original media: Comic book
Media today: Comic books, movies, television shows, toys, video games, apparel and many kinds of merchandising
Total estimated revenue: $29 billion
Bottom line: Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is a web-slinging, money-making machine.
Since 2002, the Spider-Man films have earned over $7.2 billion in box office sales, and in 2018, Spider-Man branded merchandise netted $1.4 billion worldwide.
12. Transformers
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Year launched: 1984
Original media: Animated series
Media today: Toys, movies, comic books video games and TV shows
Total estimated revenue: $30 billion
Bottom line: "Transformers" was an enormously popular cartoon when it arrived on North American television sets in the 1980s. And it’s still popular.
The "Transformers" series is estimated to have amassed approximately $30 billion in sales, mostly from its seemingly endless toy line.
However, "Transformers"-related merchandise amounted to only $423 million globally in 2018 — a 35 percent decrease from 2017 — a sign that Optimus Prime and his friends might need a tune-up.
11. Harry Potter/Wizarding World
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Year launched: 1997
Original media: Novel
Media today: Films, video games, toys, stage plays, audiobooks, apparel and accessories
Total estimated revenue: $32 billion
Bottom line: J.K. Rowling’s world of Harry Potter — also known as the "Wizarding World" — seems to produce an endless amount of money.
The original eight "Harry Potter" film series and the two "Fantastic Beasts" films have made $9.2 billion at the box office, while "Harry Potter" book sales have totaled $400 million.
10. Marvel Cinematic Universe
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Year launched: 2008
Original media: Film
Media today: Films, comic books, video games, toys, apparel, merchandise, TV shows
Total estimated revenue: $35 billion
Bottom line: No other media franchise has interwoven a story so well, across over a decade of films and television shows, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The franchise’s movies have picked up about $22.6 billion in worldwide ticket sales, accounting for the bulk of its revenue, but its merchandising is no slouch, either.
In 2018, "Avengers"-related merchandise amounted to nearly $1.8 billion worldwide.
9. Mario
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Year launched: 1981
Original media: Video games
Media today: Video games, mangas, licensed merchandise, television shows and merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $37 billion
Bottom line: The Italian plumber with an affinity for jumping on heads is the most iconic video game mascot in the world, and his games are some of the best ever made.
Nintendo has been pumping out Mario games since 1981 on every single of its systems. The games range from sidescrollers to RPGs, from open-world adventure games to turn-based strategy.
Those video games have brought in an estimatedd $31.5 billion in sales, with roughly $4.3 billion in merchandising, mostly from Japan.
8. Jump Comics
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Year launched: 1968
Original media: Manga magazine
Media today: Manga magazine, video games
Total estimated revenue: $40 billion
Bottom line: Jump Comics is the most popular Japanese manga magazine in the world, with a record high circulation of 6.53 million in 1994.
Its circulation is much lower now — less than 2 million — although this franchise seems to still be going strong.
A number of video games, like "Jump Force," fall under this property’s umbrella.
7. Disney Princess
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Year launched: 2000
Original media: Animated series
Media today: Toys, dolls, cosmetics, home décor, apparel, comics, books and video games
Total estimated revenue: $47 billion
Bottom line: It’s no surprise that Disney’s Princess line is super successful.
The franchise includes 12 princesses from beloved Disney properties: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida and Moana.
With their powers combined, they can sell anything to little girls (and boys) anywhere!
6. Anpanman
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Year launched: 1973
Original media: Book
Media today: Manga, anime, books, entire shops worth of merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $60 billion
Bottom line: "Anpanman" started out as a children’s manga in 1973 and grew into a merchandising juggernaut, with 100 billion to 120 billion yen (about $923.6 million to $1.1 billion) in revenue every year for decades.
There’s apparently no end to merchandising or licensing opportunities – there are more than 2,300 characters in the "Anpanman" world.
For those wondering, Anpanman is a character with a jelly-filled head that gives his scrumptious noggin away to the people he meets.
5. Star Wars
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Year launched: 1977
Original media: Film
Media today: Films, television shows, comic books, novels, video games, licensing and merchandising anywhere you could imagine, including lettuce
Total estimated revenue: $70 billion
Bottom line: A media franchise that will exist until the heat death of the universe, "Star Wars"has been absolutely everywhere since Disney acquired the franchise from Lucas Films for $4.05 billion in 2012.
And the Mouse House has made it work, at least on a revenue level: "Star Wars" films have surpassed $10 billion in box office ticket sales and $1.9 billion in merchandising, just in 2018.
4. Mickey Mouse and Friends
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Year launched: 1928
Original media: Cartoon
Media today: Comic book, feature films, DVDs, theme parks, books, apparel, toys, video games, merchandise
Total estimated revenue: $74 billion
Bottom line: The Mickey Mouse and Friends franchise, or the Mickey Mouse universe, includes characters like Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck.
Together, these iconic characters bring in Scrooge McDuck-sized towers of money, with an estimated $42.2 billion in merchandising sales.
Mickey and his pals had the highest sales of all merchandise sold in 2018, with $3.265 billion in Mickey-related things sold, according to The Licensing Letter. Oh boy!
3. Winnie the Pooh
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Year launched: 1924
Original media: Book
Media today: Movies, TV shows, short films, TV specials toys, video games, books
Total estimated revenue: $76.5 billion
Bottom line: He might be banned in China, but Winnie the Pooh is loved by children everywhere else in the world.
Globally, Winnie the Pooh and his pals have made $76 billion in retail sales during the franchise’s lifetime.
2. Hello Kitty
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Year launched: 1974
Original media: Cartoon character
Media today: Clothing, jewelry, high-end products, purses, comics, video games, animated series, movies, toys, consumer products
Total estimated revenue: $86 billion
Bottom line: Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth, but if she did, she would be smiling. The tiny little cartoon cat makes major money with branding.
Anything can have a Hello Kitty on it if the price is right — snowboards, skateboards, skates, diamond necklaces, condoms, private jets, guitars, blankets, backpacks, earbud cases, shoes, pajamas, bags, mirrors, strollers. You get the idea.
If you can brand it, there’s always room for a Hello Kitty edition.
1. Pokémon
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Year launched: 1996
Original media: Video game
Media today: Video games, card games, movies, TV shows, anime, comic books, a theme park, mangas, music
Total estimated revenue: $95 billion
Bottom line: Gotta catch 'em all! All the dollars, anyway. And Pokémon has been extraordinarily successful at doing so.
The franchise has sold over 300 million Pokémon games worldwide, and "Pokémon Go" hit one billion downloads in mid-2019. The franchise is so popular it hit $25 billion in worldwide retail sales within 10 years.
In 2018, the Pokémon Company made $2.98 billion in revenue sales, and in 2019, "Detective Pikachu," a feature-length film, made $433 million worldwide on a $150 million budget.
Now, that's taking charge of your destiny.