NARUTO has topped TV Tokyo’s anime property sales ranking for the first half of fiscal year 2027, with BORUTO taking second place, according to TV Tokyo Holdings’ latest financial results. The company reported that its anime and streaming business generated an operating profit of ¥4.389 billion between April and September 2026, representing an 11.1% increase compared with the same period last year.
The financial results, announced on November 5, 2026, show that while TV Tokyo Holdings experienced an overall decline in revenue and profits, its anime and streaming business continued to perform strongly. Overseas licensing, mobile games, and merchandise sales involving major anime franchises contributed to the segment’s growth.
The results also revealed the top five anime properties by sales at TV Tokyo, with NARUTO, BORUTO, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon, and BLEACH occupying the leading positions.
TV Tokyo’s Anime and Streaming Business Records 11.1% Profit Growth
For the first half of fiscal year 2027, covering April to September 2026, TV Tokyo Holdings recorded consolidated revenue of ¥75.197 billion, down 6.0% year over year. Operating profit also declined significantly, falling 65.0% to ¥2.47 billion.
However, the anime and streaming business moved in the opposite direction.
The segment recorded revenue of ¥25.177 billion, an increase of 1.2%, while operating profit reached ¥4.389 billion, up 11.1% compared with the previous year.
The company described the segment’s performance as a record high in its financial supplementary materials.
For the July–September quarter alone, the anime and streaming business generated an operating profit of ¥2.196 billion, representing a 16.1% increase year over year.
Meanwhile, TV Tokyo’s terrestrial and BS broadcasting business faced a more difficult period, with revenue declining 10.1% to ¥44.84 billion and recording an operating loss of ¥1.49 billion.
The contrast highlights the growing importance of anime-related businesses to TV Tokyo Holdings as traditional broadcasting revenue faces pressure.
NARUTO Tops TV Tokyo’s Anime Property Sales Ranking
One of the most interesting details in the financial report is the ranking of TV Tokyo’s anime properties by sales during the first half of fiscal year 2027.
The top five franchises were:
| Rank | Anime Franchise |
|---|---|
| 1 | NARUTO |
| 2 | BORUTO |
| 3 | Yu-Gi-Oh! |
| 4 | Pokémon |
| 5 | BLEACH |
NARUTO and BORUTO occupied the first two positions, highlighting the continued commercial importance of the franchise to TV Tokyo.
The anime-related licensing business of TV Tokyo, one of the group’s core subsidiaries, generated revenue of ¥12.878 billion, increasing 3.6% from ¥12.426 billion during the same period last year.
According to the company’s financial materials, overseas game development and merchandise licensing performed particularly well, helping the anime licensing business achieve its highest sales for a first-half period.
The financial report also highlighted strong overseas performance from NARUTO and BORUTO mobile games, NARUTO merchandise and streaming, as well as BLEACH streaming rights.
NARUTO merchandise also performed well in the domestic Japanese market.
However, TV Tokyo did not disclose the individual revenue generated by each anime franchise, so the ranking should be understood as a sales ranking rather than a breakdown of each property’s exact earnings.
China and North America Account for Major Shares of TV Tokyo’s Anime Revenue
The financial supplementary materials also provided a regional breakdown of TV Tokyo’s anime sales, showing the importance of overseas markets.
China accounted for the largest share at 30.8%, followed by North America at 25.7%.
The remaining distribution was:
| Market | Share of Anime Sales |
|---|---|
| China | 30.8% |
| North America | 25.7% |
| Japan | 14.7% |
| Asia and Middle East, including India, Latin America, Africa and Oceania | 10.5% |
| Europe | 10.1% |
| Worldwide licensing rights | 8.1% |
These figures represent the geographical distribution of TV Tokyo’s overall anime sales, not the revenue breakdown of individual franchises.
The results demonstrate how important international distribution, merchandise, and licensing have become to the company’s anime business.
TV Tokyo Music, the group’s music publishing subsidiary, also recorded growth. Its revenue increased 8.3% to ¥2.382 billion, supported by steady domestic and international royalty income, particularly from music associated with NARUTO.
TV Tokyo Announces PROJECT RASENGAN for NARUTO’s Future Expansion
Beyond its financial performance, TV Tokyo’s supplementary materials also highlighted a major development initiative for NARUTO titled PROJECT RASENGAN.
The project is intended to establish a long-term roadmap for expanding the franchise through new anime and manga productions, games, merchandise, and other related businesses.
Four major initiatives were included in the announcement.
1. New NARUTO × NINKU Anime
A completely new four-episode anime project titled NARUTO × NINKU is in development.
Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of NARUTO, and Koji Kiriyama, the original creator of NINKU, will supervise all four episodes.
The project will also involve Noriyuki Abe as director and Tetsuya Nishio as character designer and chief animation director. Both have previously worked on NINKU and BORUTO: Naruto Next Generations.
2. New Manga by Masashi Kishimoto
The roadmap also includes a new manga project written by Masashi Kishimoto, although further details regarding its story and release schedule have not been announced.
3. New NARUTO Trading Card Game
BANDAI CARD GAMES is preparing a new NARUTO trading card game, scheduled for a simultaneous worldwide release in June 2027.
The global launch is another part of the franchise’s strategy to expand its reach through merchandise and interactive entertainment.
4. NARUTO MOBILE Global Release
The fourth initiative involves the worldwide distribution of Naruto Mobile, a competitive action game based on the franchise.
However, its international release schedule has not yet been determined.
Together, these projects form part of a broader strategy to expand NARUTO across different entertainment formats and strengthen its long-term commercial presence.
TV Tokyo Raises Full-Year Profit Forecast for Anime and Streaming
TV Tokyo Holdings also revised its financial outlook for the fiscal year ending March 2027.
While the company lowered its overall consolidated forecasts, it raised its expectations for the anime and streaming business.
The revised forecasts include:
| Financial Metric | Previous Forecast | Revised Forecast |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Revenue | ¥168 billion | ¥161 billion |
| Consolidated Operating Profit | ¥11.5 billion | ¥10 billion |
| Anime and Streaming Operating Profit | ¥8.58 billion | ¥9.679 billion |
The operating profit forecast for the anime and streaming segment was increased from ¥8.58 billion to ¥9.679 billion, while the consolidated revenue and operating profit projections were lowered.
TV Tokyo has maintained its forecast for the anime licensing business of its core subsidiary at ¥29.006 billion, representing a 6.6% increase compared with the previous fiscal year.
The company expects the anime business to continue growing during the second half of the financial year, although uncertainty surrounding the advertising market remains a concern for its broader operations.
NARUTO Approaches Its 25th Anniversary in 2027
The financial results arrive as NARUTO approaches another major milestone.
The television anime originally began broadcasting on TV Tokyo in 2002 and has since expanded into one of Japan’s most recognisable international entertainment franchises.
According to TV Tokyo’s financial materials, NARUTO is currently distributed across more than 145 countries and regions worldwide.
With 2027 marking 25 years since the television anime began, PROJECT RASENGAN could become an important part of the franchise’s next stage of expansion.
The combination of a new anime project, another manga project from Kishimoto, a globally launched trading card game, and an international mobile game release shows that TV Tokyo is looking beyond the franchise’s existing anime catalogue.
Meanwhile, the latest financial results demonstrate that established properties such as NARUTO and BORUTO continue to contribute significantly to the company’s anime-related revenue. Bookmark Otaku Mantra for more anime industry news and updates!
About TV Tokyo Holdings
TV Tokyo Holdings Corporation is a Japanese media company operating through businesses involving television broadcasting, animation licensing, streaming, and intellectual property management. Its core subsidiary, TV Tokyo Corporation, is responsible for broadcasting and licensing numerous anime properties, including NARUTO, BORUTO, Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and BLEACH.
The company generates revenue through television broadcasting, international distribution, merchandise licensing, mobile games, and other commercial uses of its entertainment properties. Its anime and streaming business has become an important contributor to its overall financial performance.
Source: TV Tokyo Holdings, “Supplementary Materials for the Second Quarter (Interim) Financial Results for the Fiscal Year Ending March 2027 (FY2026)” and “Financial Results Summary” (Disclosed November 5, 2026)
