The Pokemon Company International reportedly made $2.98 billion from physical sales- including games and merchandise.

The report comes via Licence Global, a magazine specializing in the brand licencing industry. In their August 2019 issue, they publicized their annual “Top 150 Global Licencors.” You can view the entire Top 150 article here. Editor’s Note: Article is hosted by zmags.com

The Pokemon Company International (TPCI) came in at 23rd. For comparison, notable names include Ferrari (25th, estimated $2.6 billion), and Playboy Enterprises (21st, $3 billion). Speaking in more detail (pages 42 and 43), the article notes TPCI had several key licences and products in 2018; including toys, plush, figures, animated programs, films, and video games on both consoles and mobile.

Companies with a similar focus to TCPI (a combination of TV or film, toys, apparel, and video games) include WWE (52nd, $1 billion), The Lego Group (58th, estimated $800 million), and Rovio Entertainment Corporation (104th, estimated $230 million)- along with major sports brands such as Major League Baseball, National Football League and National Basketball Association.

The Pokemon Company was founded on April 23rd 1998 (known then as The Pokemon Center Company), as a joint investment between the three companies who owned the Pokemon copyright- Game Freak, Nintendo, and Creatures Inc. While initially designed to help manage the Japanese Pokemon Centers (Pokemon themed stores), the company’s scope soon grew to handle the Pokemon brand globally.

Editor’s Note: Image via the Pokemon anime.