IG Port, the parent company of Production I.G, WIT Studio, Signal.MD and Mag Garden, has released its financial results for the fiscal year ended May 2026, reporting a significant decline in profit despite continuing work on major anime projects such as THE ONE PIECE, Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant, and Kaiju No. 8: Narumi’s Days Off.
While several business divisions, including publishing and licensing, performed better than expected, rising anime production costs, project delays, and weaker merchandise sales weighed heavily on the company’s overall performance.
IG Port Reports Lower Profit Across the Board
For the fiscal year ending May 2026, IG Port reported:
- Revenue: ¥14.064 billion (down 3.7% year-over-year)
- Operating Profit: ¥766 million (down 46.3%)
- Ordinary Profit: ¥920 million (down 35.2%)
- Net Profit: ¥669 million (down 19.1%)
The company also fell short of its previous financial forecast, with revenue missing expectations by ¥1.707 billion and operating profit falling ¥1.025 billion below projections.
According to IG Port, although its Publishing and Licensing businesses performed better than expected, delays in the animation production business and weaker domestic e-commerce sales in its merchandise division significantly impacted the final results.
On the profit side, the company said animation production margins were revised downward, additional provisions were recorded for expected losses on contracted projects, and merchandise sales failed to meet expectations.
Animation Production Revenue Increased, But Losses Grew
Despite producing more work than the previous year, the company’s Animation Production division recorded a larger operating loss.
During the fiscal year, IG Port worked on several major titles, including:
- THE ONE PIECE
- Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant
- Kaiju No. 8: Narumi’s Days Off
- Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi
- Demon’s Crest
- Left-Handed Eren
- The Four Seasons: Spring Dance
The company also produced promotional videos, commercials, game animation, and pachinko-related animation projects.
It noted that deliveries for THE ONE PIECE and Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi have begun ahead of their television and streaming releases.
However, the division continued to struggle with rising production expenses.
According to IG Port, higher personnel costs, increasing CG production expenses, rising outsourcing fees, and longer production schedules forced the company to recognize provisions for expected losses on certain contracted works.
As a result, the Animation Production business generated:
- Revenue: ¥8.105 billion (up 10.7% year-over-year)
- Operating Loss: ¥1.341 billion (compared to an operating loss of ¥1.101 billion in the previous fiscal year)
Although revenue increased, the higher production costs ultimately widened losses within the division.
Publishing Business Driven by Strong Digital Manga Sales
IG Port’s Publishing business delivered stronger-than-expected sales, supported primarily by digital manga.
Among the titles released during the fiscal year were:
- Dahliya Wilts No More Volume 9
- The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure Volume 15
- Petals of Reincarnation Volume 23
The company said Dahliya Wilts No More and The Aristocrat’s Otherworldly Adventure performed particularly well through digital distribution.
Meanwhile, its monthly print magazine Comic Garden ceased publication with its March 2026 issue as the company shifts its focus toward strengthening its web manga platforms MAGCOMI and MAGKAN.
The Publishing business recorded:
- Revenue: ¥2.313 billion (up 4.0%)
- Operating Profit: ¥256 million (down 26.4%)
Licensing Business Remains IG Port’s Most Profitable Segment
The Licensing division continued generating strong revenue from major franchises including:
- Haikyu!!
- Kaiju No. 8
- SPY×FAMILY
- Attack on Titan
- Bubble
Although revenue declined compared to the previous fiscal year due to the absence of major contributors such as Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle and Kimi ni Todoke Season 3, the division remained the group’s most profitable business.
Results for the Licensing segment were:
- Revenue: ¥2.235 billion (down 43.5%)
- Operating Profit: ¥1.427 billion (down 26.2%)
Merchandise Business Posts Strong Growth
IG Port’s Merchandise division achieved substantial growth during the fiscal year.
The company credited licensing fees from new store openings, wholesale operations for the I.G & WIT Anime Studio Store in Shanghai, and domestic retail sales.
However, wholesale sales to the Shanghai store were lower than expected due to changes in the external business environment, while domestic sales also fell short of internal projections.
Even so, the division reported:
- Revenue: ¥1.145 billion (up 31.5%)
- Operating Profit: ¥622 million (up 64.5%)
Other Businesses Return to Profit
IG Port’s remaining businesses, including illustration production and educational activities, also improved during the fiscal year.
The segment reported:
- Revenue: ¥265 million (up 16.4%)
- Operating Profit: ¥220,000
This marks a return to profitability after recording an operating loss in the previous fiscal year.
Company Expects Profit to Decline Again in FY2027
Looking ahead to the fiscal year ending May 2027, IG Port expects revenue to grow modestly while forecasting another decline in profits.
The company’s projections include:
- Revenue: ¥14.578 billion (up 3.7%)
- Operating Profit: ¥579 million (down 24.3%)
- Ordinary Profit: ¥546 million (down 40.6%)
- Net Profit: ¥311 million (down 53.5%)
- EPS: ¥15.56
With major projects such as THE ONE PIECE and Haikyu!! VS The Little Giant continuing production, IG Port said rising animation production costs remain one of the biggest challenges facing its animation business, even as it continues diversifying its revenue through publishing, licensing, merchandise, and digital initiatives.
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About IG Port
IG Port, Inc. is a Japanese media holding company that owns Production I.G, WIT Studio, Mag Garden, and several other entertainment businesses. The company operates across anime production, publishing, licensing, merchandise, and digital media. Its portfolio includes major franchises such as Attack on Titan, Haikyu!!, Kaiju No. 8, SPY×FAMILY, Ghost in the Shell, and the upcoming THE ONE PIECE remake, making it one of Japan’s most influential anime production groups.
Source: Gamebiz
