10 Richest Franchises in the World in 2022

Humanity has evolved to a point where almost anything and everything you look at either comes from a renowned brand or a brand that is striving to become well-known. And that is commercialization in a nutshell.

When brands start getting more and more users, they evolve into franchises, and spread their networks not just nationally but also internationally.

Sometimes, these franchises just about hit the spot and become global successes.

Today we are looking at the richest franchises in the world. These could be anything: from sports to food to media.

Anything that is out there earning the big bucks will be on this list.

10. Harry Potter

Every millennial and Gen Z child will definitely have fond memories of their first Harry Potter book or movie. The wizard who lived under the stairs is an important part of childhood for so many kids of the early 21st century.

Harry Potter is a fantasy fiction series of seven novels written by British author J.K. Rowling. The story involves the life of a young wizard named Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasly, and their magical adventures in their school of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter is a franchise worth 32.2 billion dollars, comprising of seven novels, eight movies, and other earnings such as merchandise sales, video game sales, video-on-demand, and even a Broadway play.

9. Mario

Mario is another piece of history that is one of the fondest memories kids from the 90s and 2000s will have to cherish.

The Italian plumber and his brother go through the trials of the evil Bowser to save the love of his life, Princess Peach.

Primarily a video game franchise, it was created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and published by games giant Nintendo for the first time in 1981. Since then, the franchise has been ever-growing and has produced more than 200 video games, a tv series, a feature film, and merchandise sales as well.

The Mario franchise is worth 34.8 billion dollars.

8. Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel Cinematic Universe is a media franchise of more than 20 movies based on the Marvel Comics superheroes and other characters created by popular comic book writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, with the movies being made by Marvel Studios back in 2008.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a wonderful and surreal experience for comic book fans of all ages, including all the movies and subsequent TV shows that have sprawled up due to their popularity over 13 years.

The MCU has a net worth of 35.4 billion dollars, which includes movies and TV shows, merchandise sales, and various media releases on streaming platforms.

7. Anpanman

Anpanman is a Japanese children’s picture book that was made by Takashi Yanase in 1993. Anpanman is a very popular cartoon figure in Japan and is a very loved character in children’s entertainment.

The book has earned a lot through its retail sales, and other sales of the book are popularised through several movie releases, Manga, anime, video games, and even a Museum in Japan.

Anpanman has an earning of 44.9 billion dollars and is one of the highest-selling Japanese media figures of all time.

6. Disney Princess

Disney Princess is a TV series, line of toys, and various other digital and print media collections made by The Walt Disney Company.

These consist of several female protagonists from other Disney franchise movies and shows.

These Disney princesses are a part of several movies and tv shows they have taken part in together, and they also come in the form of merchandise such as toys, figures, makeup products, and home decor articles.

Disney Princesses have brought in 46.4 billion dollars worth of revenue through these sources.

5. Star Wars

In a galaxy far, far away is where exists the magical sci-fi world of Star Wars, a space drama movie franchise created by George Lucas that began in 1977, and has ever since become a cult classic.

The Star Wars movies have given birth to several other media mediums such as TV shows, video games, comic books, books, merchandise, and streaming services content.

Star Wars has earned approximately 68.7 billion dollars in its lifetime.

4. Mickie Mouse and Friends

Mickie Mouse and Friends is a cartoon universe created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928.

Mickie Mouse and Friends are a part of a larger universe, and they have all been present in lots of movies and TV shows throughout their 93-year history.

These movies and tv shows, along with comic sales, and streaming platform content sales, have earned them a whopping 80.3 billion dollars in revenue.

3. Winnie the Pooh

Children’s book Winnie the Pooh created by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shephard takes the third spot on our list, and rightfully so.

The cute and cuddly bear has been entertaining kids since 1924 and ever since then has grown into the hearts of all. Winnie the Pooh has evolved into a mini-universe of its own, with a bunch of feature films, TV shows, video games, music albums, and on-demand streaming content.

Winnie the Pooh has amassed 80.3 billion dollars in earnings.

2. Hello Kitty

Another example of a kid’s character that is famous the world over is Hello Kitty, a fictional Japanese cartoon cat created by Yuko Shimizu and produced by the Japanese company Sanrio in 1974.

Hello Kitty is very famous in loads of kid’s accessories and toys, and also can be found in a lot of movies, TV shows, video games, and songs.

Hello Kitty has made 84.5 billion dollars in profits largely through its merchandise sales.

1. Pokemon

Pokemon takes the top spot on our list, deemed the richest and most successful franchise of all time. Pokemon is a Japanese video game franchise created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori in 1996.

Pokemon is the centerpiece of attraction from Nintendo, and ever since its inception has blown up in popularity very much. The game involves humans known as “Pokemon trainers”, who catch and train Pokemons or mythical monsters, for sport.

The epic video game with its tagline of “Gotta Catch ‘em All!” is a very big hit among teenagers and young adults.

The franchise has continuously evolved into other media forms such as TV shows, Manga, Anime films, trading card games, and even a live-action movie.

Pokemon is the proud champion of this list, having earned a whopping 105 billion dollars since its inception through all these various media forms.