# Pokemon is the #1 media franchise in the world. Here's a look at the next 136 highest grossers.

**Source:** r/pinball  
**Type:** forum_thread  
**Published:** 2026-02-14  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://www.reddit.com/r/pinball/comments/1r4omh0/pokemon_is_the_1_media_franchise_in_the_world/

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## Analysis

Reddit user analyzes the top 137 highest-grossing media franchises globally, noting that Stern's recent releases (Pokémon and another top-4 franchise) represent exceptional IP acquisitions. Of 136 remaining franchises with $2B+ gross revenue, only 39 have had pinball machines made, leaving 97 untapped IPs. The post categorizes remaining opportunities by type (family icons, video games, anime, live-action) and asks the community which would make the best pinball machines.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] Pokémon is the #1 highest-grossing media franchise in the world, nearly doubling the next highest earner — _Post cites Wikipedia's list of top-grossing media franchises; Pokémon confirmed as Stern's recent release_
- [MEDIUM] Of 137 media franchises that have grossed over $2 billion, only 39 have had pinball machines made — _User's analysis based on Pinside entries for official physical releases; acknowledges some subjectivity in categorization_
- [MEDIUM] 97 of the top-grossing franchises do not have pinball machines — _Derived from 39 of 137 having pinball games; based on Pinside database entries_
- [HIGH] Stern's last 2 releases are the #1 and #4 biggest franchises in the world — _Pokémon confirmed as #1; other release implied but not explicitly named in excerpt_

### Notable Quotes

> "With Stern's last 2 releases being the #1 and #4 biggest franchises in the world, I decided to look at that list to see if there are any standout IPs that have not yet had a pin."
> — **/u/w0lfbiker**
> _Frames the analysis motivation and underscores the scale of IP Stern has recently secured_

> "Pokemon nearly doubled the next highest earner."
> — **/u/w0lfbiker**
> _Emphasizes Pokémon's dominant position in global media franchise revenue_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| Pokémon | game | #1 highest-grossing media franchise globally; Stern Pinball recent release |
| Stern Pinball | company | Recently released Pokémon (#1 franchise) and another game ranked #4 globally |
| Wikipedia | organization | Source for list of top-grossing media franchises |
| Pinside | organization | Database used to determine which franchises have had official pinball machines |
| Mickey Mouse | game | #2 highest-grossing franchise; no pinball machine mentioned |
| Barbie | game | #7 highest-grossing franchise; family-friendly cultural icon category |
| Call of Duty | game | #11 highest-grossing franchise; mature video game category |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | game | #56 highest-grossing franchise; wholesome video game category |
| Dragon Ball | game | #33 highest-grossing franchise; anime category |
| Resident Evil | game | #133 highest-grossing franchise; mature video game category |

### Signals

- **[competitive_signal]** Stern's acquisition of Pokémon (#1) and another top-4 franchise demonstrates aggressive IP licensing strategy targeting mega-franchises (confidence: high) — Stern's last 2 releases are #1 and #4 highest-grossing franchises globally
- **[market_signal]** Large untapped market of 97 high-revenue franchises without pinball machines suggests significant licensing opportunity for manufacturers (confidence: high) — 97 of 137 top-grossing franchises ($2B+) do not have pinball machines despite proven commercial success
- **[licensing_signal]** Analysis identifies specific high-revenue IP categories most viable for pinball (family icons, video games, anime, live-action) based on demographic alignment (confidence: medium) — User categorizes 97 untapped franchises by type after filtering for pinball demographic relevance

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## Transcript

With Stern's last 2 releases being the #1 and #4 biggest franchises in the world, I decided to look at that list to see if there are any standout IPs that have not yet had a pin. According to Wikipedia's list of top-grossing
media franchises
, there are 137 IPs that have brought in over $2 Billion. Pokemon nearly doubled the next highest earner. Of the other 136:
39 have had a pinball machine made.
Anything that has a Pinside entry of an official physical release.
There is some level of subjectivity. One example is that Marvel as a whole is listed, and then individual Marvel characters are listed, if they exist in a game, I removed them.
97 do not.
The list is very animated/family, and video game centric. If we remove franchises that probably don't have a big enough audience in the pinball demographic:
Young children IP (things like Paw Patrol, Dora, My Little Pony, Blue's Clues)
Regional outliers (things like Anpanman, Dungeon Fighter, Kumamon)
We are left with some clear categories.
Family-Friendly Cultural Icons
Mickey Mouse (#2)
Barbie (#7)
Hello Kitty (#10)
Spongebob (#20)
Peanuts (#26)
Sesame Street/Muppets (#54)
Lego (#135)
Mature Video Games
Call of Duty (#11)
Warcraft (#30)
Grand Theft Auto (#37)
Fortnite (#43)
Halo (#60)
Mortal Kombat (#68)
Assassin's Creed (#75)
Titanfall (#92)
Elder Scrolls (#104)
Resident Evil (#133)
Wholesome Video Games
Sonic the Hedgehog (#56)
The Sims (#71)
Minecraft (#80)
Gran Turismo (#82)
Skylanders (#90)
Guitar Hero (#134)
Animated Family Franchises
Cars (#16)
The Lion King (#21)
Frozen (#28)
Minions (#31)
Lilo & Stich (#51)
Ice Age (#61)
The Smurfs (#84)
Beauty & The Beast (#89)
Zootopia (#100)
Inside Out (#103)
Anime & Anime Adjacent
Dragon Ball (#33)
Demon Slayer (#36)
Fate (#69)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (#66)
Gundam (#69)
Genshin Impact (#70)
Beyblade (#77)
Sailor Moon (#113)
Yo-kai Watch (#126)
Mobile Games
Candy Crush (#17)
Monster Strike (#39)
Angry Birds (#41)
Kid Action/Adventure
Power Rangers (#45)
Ben 10 (#53)
G.I. Joe (#86)
Live Action Franchies
Fast & Furious (#50)
Mission Impossible (#76)
Twilight (#81)
The Hunger Games (#87)
Planet of the Apes (#118)
Jumanji (#119)
The Matrix (#127)
Bourne (#131)
Men In Black (#132)
Chronicles of Narnia (#128)
TV Sitcoms
The Big Bang Theory (#78)
Seinfeld (#79)
Friends (#112)
What do you think would make the best pins in this world of huge money earners?
submitted by
/u/w0lfbiker
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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-06-06 | Item ID: 807583f2-6770-4366-8d89-7c49be951b62*