Pokemon has taken the top spot for toy sales in the US during the year 2024, becoming the only toy brand to surpass 1 billion US Dollars.
Mat Piscatella, Executive Director and Video Game Industry Analyst at Circana (NPD), took to Blue Sky to share that Pokemon had an “amazing” year in the US, as it was the best-selling toy property of 2024.
According to Piscatella, Pokemon was the #1 toy property and the only property to surpass 1 billion US Dollars in sales. This figure includes includes sales of the Pokemon Trading Card Game.
While the stats shared by Piscatella are limited to the US, the Pokemon franchise continues to be a massive success across the globe. A few months ago, on December 23, 2024, entertainment marketing firm GEM Partners released the results of a comprehensive survey measuring the reach of entertainment brands across seven media formats, including video, books, and music. For the 2024 annual ranking, the Pokemon brand secured the top position with an impressive 65,578 points.
Pokémon dominated the rankings, earning 50,546 points in the primary “App Games” category, which accounted for 80% of its total score. The enduring popularity of the location-based game Pokémon GO played a significant role in this success, bolstered by the impact of DeNA’s new release, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. As for other categories, Pokémon garnered 11,619 points in “Home Video” and 2,728 points in “Video.” Additionally, collaborative campaigns, such as the widely publicized tie-in with Mister Donut, and the ongoing surge in trading card game popularity contributed to Pokemon’s extensive reach, likely exceeding the measured figures.
The Pokémon Company’s most recent financial report (for the fiscal year ending February, 2024) highlighted the franchise’s continued growth, with sales reaching 297.58 billion yen and a gross profit of 152.23 billion yen. These numbers reinforce Pokémon’s position as one of Japan’s most successful and rapidly expanding entertainment properties.
