Streaming giants feed growth as Japanese anime market hits US$19BN
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Rebecca Hawkes
| 10 December 2018

The Japanese anime market earned US$19.1 billion (￥2.15 trillion) in 2017, according to latest figures from the Association of Japanese Animations (AJA).

The domestic market fell from its peak in 2014, however strong growth in overseas sales have continued to buoy the industry. Indeed, 2017 was the fifth consecutive year of record revenues for anime, with the market exceeding 2 trillion yen ($17.7 billion) for the first time in 2016.

Content deals with US streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Chinese online video servicesNetflix, Amazon and Chinese online video services have helped triple overseas sales in the last four years, the AJA said it its annual report.

Overall, overseas anime sales – which also include box office, television rights, remake rights, home entertainment sales and merchandising – grew to a record $8.81 billion (￥995 billion). This represents a 30% rise from $6.79 billion the previous year.

Exports, along with licenses to video games and gambling game pachinko, have provided eight consecutive years of growth for the industry. Live streaming of anime events is also a growth area.

The industry has struggled at home in Japan, where it faces a slowly falling population and limited number of young people with whom to market its product.