New Data Breaks Down Surprising Anime Industry Trends

The new year has passed, and fans are finally getting data about the anime industry's last year. In many ways, 2017 marked a good one for the medium as foreign interest grew thanks to titles like Your Name and Dragon Ball Super. Now, the full reports are in, and it seems the anime industry had some interesting advances in 2017.

As you can see below, a new report from Japan was shared to breakdown all things anime in 2017. The charts dive into the revenue which the industry brings in both internationally and domestically. And, if these numbers are right, then foreign interest is at an all-time high.

The top chart breaks down the market's trends in broad sense. The larger market brought in the most revenue from overseas operations which can include anything such as licensing. The subcategory was the highest its ever been in 2017, and it was followed shortly by merchandising, pachinko, and TV.

Anime Industry Report 2017

As for the market's limited sense, Japan continues to dominate with its TV airings. The subcategory ranked at the top for 2017 with smaller overseas operations and film following.

If you read through the entire report, you will find that international licensing is growing a lot, and that is why the market's broader numbers is on the rise. In 2015, the market licensed shows to about 40 countries; Now, there is at least one title being licensed in almost every country. Streaming services like Crunchyroll and Netflix had a big hand in upping those numbers as anime has become more readily available to consumers.

As for those foreign consumers, the report lists which countries are flying their otaku flags the most. China and Korea are the most prolific contractees while Taiwan, America, Australia, and Canada follow.

Are you surprised to see how much foreign consumption of anime has increased over the years? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!