Pokémon Tops 2027 Most-Desired Licenses List
License Global's 2026 report ranks Pokémon first, with toys and games emerging as the leading opportunity category for manufacturers.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Board Games
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Pokémon ranks No. 1 on License Global's Leading Brand Manufacturers 2026 list of the most-desired licenses for 2027, followed by Bluey, Disney, Minecraft and Nintendo. Forty percent of manufacturers surveyed named toys and games the leading opportunity category, up from 24% in the prior year's report.
Why it matters
The ranking signals where licensors and toy makers are concentrating product development and partnership spending heading into 2027. Rising licensed toy sales suggest character-based products are capturing a growing share of the category.
Licensed toys rose 24% in the first half of 2026 and accounted for 39% of total toy sales, a gain of 2 share points year over year. Manufacturers also reported targeting Millennials (67%) and Generation Z (64%), while 25% of licensed products aim at kidult consumers and 9% ignore adults 18 and up.
The players
Pokémon
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise created by Game Freak and owned by The Pokémon Company, spanning video games, trading cards, animation and merchandise.
Bluey
Bluey is an Australian animated children's series produced by Ludo Studio that has become one of the most successful preschool licenses in global merchandising.
Disney
The Walt Disney Company is a major American entertainment conglomerate whose character licensing portfolio spans toys, apparel and consumer products worldwide.
License Global
License Global is a trade publication covering the licensing industry, known for its annual Leading Brand Manufacturers reports and Brandscape research.
The details
License Global's Brandscape research surveyed manufacturers on their 2027 plans, and Pokémon led the most-desired list ahead of Bluey and Disney. Toys and games overtook other categories as the top opportunity area, a shift from 24% to 40% of respondents in a single year.
Timeline
First half of 2025: baseline period for the U.S. toy sales comparison.
First half of 2026: U.S. toy dollar sales rose 17% and licensed toys rose 24%.
2026: Disney is positioned among the leading new and most successful licenses for the year.
2027: The most-desired licenses list applies to manufacturers' product plans for the year.
Culture Shift
The rise of licensed toys reflects a broader movement in which adult collectors, or kidults, now drive a meaningful share of character merchandise demand. Circana's sales tracking shows licensed products gaining ground against unlicensed toys in a category that has historically depended on children's purchases alone.
Shoppers buying licensed toys and collectibles should expect character-branded products to remain a strong share of store shelves and online listings through 2027. Adult collectors targeted by 25% of licensed products may find more kidult-oriented releases in the coming year.
The takeaway
Licensed characters are increasingly central to toy purchasing, so buyers comparing products may find that franchise recognition now influences both price and availability. Tracking which licenses rank highest can help consumers anticipate which product lines will expand.
Further reading
Explore more on the Board Games hobby to see how licensed characters are shaping the tabletop market.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Toy Book.
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