‘Pokémon’ fans top fan spending report as most valuable

A Zero1 Gaming report issued in October 2026 named Pokémon fans the most valuable fandom on the internet by estimated merchandise expenditure. Global licensed merchandise and services sales reached $389.8 billion in 2025. The study placed the Pokémon community at the head of spending modeled across dozens of major fan groups.

Researchers examined 45 fandoms drawn from gaming, sports, brands, film and television, music, and anime. Pricing inputs came from official stores for each category of item examined.

Ranking rested on volumes of purchase-related search terms together with 490 sampled prices for tickets, apparel, signature products, and premium collectibles. Conversion rates of 1.25 percent for tickets, 5 percent for premium collectibles, and 17.5 percent for apparel produced the final modeled expenditures.

The top ten by total estimated expenditure were Pokémon at $1.71 billion, NFL at $1.36 billion, Walt Disney Studio Franchise at $907.25 million, Super Mario at $850.01 million, MLB at $822.23 million, FC Barcelona at $721.28 million, Manchester United at $562.31 million, Real Madrid at $558.69 million, Marvel Cinematic Universe at $552.89 million, and Harry Potter at $502.52 million.

Pokémon recorded 40.21 million purchase-related searches and $1.71 billion in modeled spending. Games accounted for roughly $985 million of the total while apparel contributed about $301 million. Signature items averaged $70, premium collectibles $180, apparel $42.70, and tickets or experiences $120.

NFL placed second with 17.46 million searches and $1.36 billion in spending. Replica jerseys priced at $150 generated an estimated $916 million. Ticket prices averaged $155. Sports properties occupied five of the ten highest positions.

Disney ranked third on 30.78 million searches and $907.25 million in spending. A $30 plush formed the core purchase while one-day theme-park tickets reached $174, the highest ticket price among the top ten.

Super Mario generated $850.01 million from 19.13 million searches. Mario Kart World at $79.99 produced an estimated $535 million, nearly two-thirds of the fandom total. Signature products averaged $80.

MLB reached $822.23 million despite 10.42 million searches. Replica jerseys at $135 contributed an estimated $492 million. Authentic versions and lower search volume still produced high overall spend.

A Zero1 Gaming video-game industry expert stated: "Fan spending is driven less by what an item costs and more by what it says about the person wearing or owning it. A jersey, a trading card, or a plush toy works like a membership badge, and fans are happy to pay for it when it ties them to a community. Prices matter too, since one high-ticket item can outweigh a mountain of low-cost purchases. The smartest fan brands make it easy to start with something small and then give loyal supporters a reason to trade up to the special edition."

The remaining top-ten entries comprised FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Harry Potter, each supported by distinct search volumes and price points for apparel, tickets, and collectibles.

The complete ranking of all 45 fandoms appears in the spreadsheet published alongside the report.