Popular Shows Drive Brand Sales More Than Sports

Streaming hits like “Stranger Things, ” “Emily in Paris” and “Wednesday” help brands sell products at a rate 30 % higher than most other entertainment properties, according to new data released by a global marketing firm. The study was presented at an industry conference in London and shows that fans of these series are more likely to buy related goods than fans of sports teams or classic cartoon characters. The research is part of a platform that matches brands with fan communities based on what they like, how they behave online and their buying intentions. The firm has been running this tool in Japan since 2020 and is now rolling it out to the United States, United Kingdom, India and Greater China. Data for the platform came from over 21, 000 online interviews carried out in December across those four markets. The survey covered about 200 titles from anime, gaming, film, TV, sports, music and creators. In Tokyo the company’s team now tracks more than 400 intellectual properties (IPs).The findings also show that entertainment IPs, whether superhero movies, adventure series or kids’ cartoons, turn fans into buyers two to four times faster than major sports events. In the U. S. , anime is as culturally relevant to Gen Z as the NFL, while in Taiwan it tops all other entertainment categories for adult viewers. The company’s general manager explained that the platform gives global brands a strategic edge, not just by exporting Japanese data but by building new local datasets and combining them with long‑standing fan expertise. He urged brands to let the IP lead the conversation, turning short spikes in sales into lasting fan loyalty. A chief new ventures officer added that marketing wins come from spotting cultural trends and turning that excitement into steady brand growth. He said fandom is now one of the best indicators of long‑term value for a brand. The Tokyo office manages over 100 brand–IP collaborations each year and holds stakes in more than 60 anime titles. It will continue to be the hub for Japanese IP, while local teams in New York, London, Mumbai and Shanghai handle delivery in their regions.