A staggering new report reveals just how valuable Star Wars Merchandise is for Disney. 14 years ago, Disney bought Star Wars from George Lucas for $4.05 billion. Since then, the House of Mouse has released a constant stream of new content, ranging from movies to TV shows. The Disney era was incredibly controversial, and as a result There is intense debate as to whether it was a benefit — and whether Disney could have handled things better.
The Hollywood Reporter has published a new assessment of the franchise under Disney. Although most of the account will be very familiar to readers, slipped in is a fascinating detail; According to sources, “Star Wars merchandise generated a billion for the company last year.“It is rare to get figures that estimate the value of merchandise Star WarsSo this report is an exciting indicator of just how valuable the franchise is to Disney.
What the value of Star Wars merchandise means for the franchise
Most attention is usually fixed on Star Wars‘ box office things, or on Nielsen TV ratings for the ever-growing Disney+ TV shows. But most big franchises really make their money through merchandising and distribution (although distribution is less of a factor for recent shows, as they primarily stream on Disney+). This is especially true for Star WarsWhere merchandise made George Lucas rich. Lucas negotiated control of licensing and merchandising rights before the first film’s release, and he never regretted it.
Disney’s decision to hold off on Baby Yoda merchandise back in 2019 was a costly one; There were reports that Disney lost $2.7 million worth of sales in Christmas 2019. That said, Disney has more than made up for lost time, and Grogu merchandise is now widely available. Almost every Disney+ TV show has a “cute” character created in a similar fashion as a potential hit, ranging from young Leia’s delightful L0-LA59 droid in Obi-Wan Kenobi To the tracker Basil in The acolyte. Disney is clearly determined not to miss out any longer Star Wars Opportunities.
Star Wars merch proves the franchise is still going strong
Star Wars has always been controversial, and the fandom right now feels pretty broken and disillusioned in the wake of The acolytes backlash and cancellation. But the commodity figures are a reminder that Star Wars is still a big deal, and always will be; It is very popular, there is a wide range of goods and Disney is always looking for new opportunities. It is true that Sales in 2024 are likely to be lowerBut this is related to less releases of new content than anything else.
It is impossible to make a true assessment of Disney Star Wars without recognizing the value of goods. Although this is only a report, and it is far from an exact figure, it is nevertheless believable – and it offers hope for Star Wars‘Future. Grogu (once Baby Yoda) is the key to this, now co-star of the next one Star Wars Movie. The opportunities for Star Wars are great.
Source: THR