Domestic Anime Industry Value Estimated

According to a new article published by ICv2, the American anime market approaches a half billion dollars in annual sales, but the American industry has not seen significant growth in the past year. According to Anime News Network, the American anime sales totaled less than 100 million dollars in 1999. By 2001 that total had increased to 500 million in annual sales, but estimated annual American anime sales have not significantly increased in the last 12 months. And both FUNimation President Gen Fukunaga and CPM Managing Director John O’Donnell both predict only moderate 15-20% growth in the American anime industry over the next two years.

The anime industry in America expanded tremendously in the 1999-2001 period fueled by the Pokemon explosion. But since the demise of the Pokemon craze, nothing has taken its place, resulting in slower increases in industry market share since 2001.

Relatively, according to the International Recording Media Association, the American home video industry overall totaled $16.8 billion in sales in 2001.