From April 2015 to March 2016, TV Tokyo, a broadcast station in Japan, conducted studies and research to determine the country's most profitable anime. At an internal meeting, TV Tokyo President Yūichi Takahashi revealed and it should come as no surprise that the most profitable franchise is Naruto. The Top 5 profitable anime were:
TOP 5 IN SALES
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Naruto
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Yōkai Watch
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Gintama
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Yu-Gi-Oh!
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Pokémon
TOP 5 IN GROSS PROFITS
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Yōkai Watch
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Naruto
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Pokémon
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Gintama
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Yu-Gi-Oh!
Tokyo TV's research includes all media sales, taking video games, merchandise and overseas licensing. Last year, Yōkai Watch was only #4 in sales. Thanks to its rising popularity in the US and UK, the anime climbed two spots and even managed to surpass Naruto in gross profits. With the Naruto manga ending, it's probably only a matter of time before that franchise starts to slowly descend down the list.