Copyright, licensing, TV anime sales up; film, theatrical anime down from last year

Toei published on October 27 its earnings for its current fiscal year through its second quarter. The company reported consolidated sales of 23.444 billion yen (about US$205 million), an 18.6% increase from the same period last year. Toei also reported an operating profit of 5.962 billion yen (US$52 million), which is a 24.7% increase, and an ordinary income of 6.281 billion yen (US$55 million), which is a 36.2% increase. The company's net income for the period was 4.291 billion yen (US$37 million), a 25% increase.

Toei's copyright and licensing sales business increased in the period, with sales reaching 13.019 billion yen (US$13 million) for the first half of the fiscal year. The number represents a 52.5% increase from last year and comprises more than half of the period's total sales. The sector reached an operating profit of 6.097 billion yen (US$53 million) for a 56.5% increase. Foreign copyright sales reached 6.233 billion yen (US$54 million), a 91.8% increase from last year.

Toei cited that sales of its Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle smartphone game were key in this area. The game has reached 200 million downloads worldwide and topped sales rankings in Apple's App Store in 14 countries.

Its film sector sales amounted to 7.667 billion yen (US$67 million), a 7.2% increase from last year, but operating profit was down 36% to 1.01 billion (US$8.83 million).

Toei produced six television anime titles in this period, up from four titles in the same period last year. The company increased its sales from 1.697 billion yen (US$14 million) last year to 1.793 billion yen (US$15 million), but its theatrical anime sales saw a drop by more than half from 998 million yen (US$8.7 million) last year to 421 million yen (US$3.6 million) during the same period this year. The home video market performed around the same as last year, earning sales of 391 million yen (US$3.4 million).

Overseas video sales totaled 3.896 billion (US$34 million), mostly stemming from licensing to China and Dragon Ball franchise sales in the United States.

Source: Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)