Naruto Tops TV Tokyo's Anime Sales Chart Again

Naruto has once again finished as TV Tokyo Holdings’ top-earning anime property, leading the broadcaster’s first-quarter sales ranking for fiscal year 2027. The company disclosed its April-June earnings materials on July 30, with the anime and streaming business seeing a 1.6% year-on-year increase in revenue.

While the company did not give specific sales figures for the anime franchises, it ranked Naruto as the best performer. Despite the franchise completing its run in 2017, it topped the list ahead of newer franchises like Black Clover.

Naruto’s sequel, Boruto, took second place, underscoring how heavily TV Tokyo’s anime rights business still leans on the Naruto universe. Boruto is followed by Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon, with Black Clover taking the fifth position.

TV Tokyo’s FY2026 financial reports, published in May, already showed Naruto as the company’s top-ranked anime IP for the entire 2025. Back then, the anime division posted record revenue of ¥27.2 billion (~$171.1 million USD), up 17.8% year-over-year, driven largely by overseas Naruto and Boruto mobile game licensing and merchandising.

Beyond the Ranks, How Did the Anime Segment Perform in Q1 FY2027? 

TV Tokyo Holdings’ group-wide numbers were weaker for the quarter; consolidated revenue fell 4.8% year-over-year to ¥37.6B (~$238.8M), and operating profit dropped 53.1% to ¥1.54B (~$9.78M). The core terrestrial and broadcasting segment resulted in an operating loss of ¥566M (~$3.6M) amid a 22.6% collapse in spot advertising revenue.  

Against that backdrop, the anime and streaming segment performed well, making it one of the only parts of the business to grow. The segment generated ¥12.55B (~$79.76M) in revenue, marking a 1.6% YoY growth.

The segment's operating profit climbed to ¥2.19B (~$13.91M), resulting in a 6.5% increase from the same period in 2025. These numbers highlight that anime has become one of TV Tokyo's core growth engines, supported by expanding international licensing, digital distribution and game partnerships.

The report comes as Naruto turns 25 as a broadcast anime in 2027. During its latest investor briefing, the broadcaster said the anniversary would mark a new stage for the franchise, with new video projects, game collaborations, stage productions, music festivals, and a new Naruto Card Game set for 2027.