No, Disney Does Not Own Pokémon

As a passionate gaming industry expert and content creator, I get asked this question a lot by fans – does Disney own Pokémon? The short answer is no, Disney does not own any part of The Pokémon Company or the highly lucrative Pokémon media franchise.

Pokémon Ownership Structure

The Pokémon franchise is owned by The Pokémon company, which was established in 1998 to manage the Pokémon brand. As per latest annual filings, ownership of The Pokémon Company breaks down as follows:

Nintendo also owns part of Game Freak, the developers of the hugely popular Pokémon video games. So while Nintendo owns the largest chunk at 32%, Pokémon ownership is split between these three companies.

Analysts estimate the franchise made over $100 billion in total revenue since 1996, making it more valuable than popular brands like Hello Kitty, Winnie the Pooh and even Disney Princesses! Here is a revenue breakdown:

So Pokémon continues to have tremendous growth even after 25 years – which is why an acquisition could be incredibly lucrative!

Has Disney Attempted to Buy Pokémon?

There were acquisition rumors in 2016 that Disney offered $4 billion to purchase Pokémon but was turned down. While unconfirmed, as the world‘s largest entertainment company Disney certainly has the resources to pull off such a mega purchase.

It is also possible Disney did not want to entirely acquire Pokémon but instead license more exclusive content and merchandising rights similar to Star Wars/Marvel given the brand‘s appeal to kids & families. For now, Pokémon remains fully owned by its three holding companies who have been careful about dilution.

But I speculate future acquisition attempts whether by Disney or other major media players could happen – valuing Pokémon at over $100 billion given its lucrative gaming, movies, cards, toys, apparel and other merchandise segments across generations.

You Can Still Find Pokémon on Some Disney Platforms

While Disney does not own any part of Pokémon, over the years Pokémon anime and movies have been licensed & aired in select regions on Disney owned networks. Examples:

• The Pokémon anime aired on Disney XD in the US from 2017-2020

• Disney Channel and DisneyNow (Disney‘s streaming service) also host some Pokémon content through licensing deals

• Older Pokémon movies have previously aired on Disney Channel & the now defunct Toon Disney network

Though networks have changed over the years, for brief periods Pokémon has had its animated content available on Disney owned properties – though not anymore. Pokémon content is still licensed out to major platforms including:

• Netflix
• Hulu
• The Pokémon TV app & website
• Gaming platforms like Nintendo Switch

Pokémon Anime – Ash‘s Epic 25 Year Journey Nears Its End

As Polygon reported in September 2022, the era-defining journey of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu as protagonists of the Pokémon anime will soon end after an astonishing 25 years. Per The Pokémon Company, Ash‘s adventures will conclude sometime in 2024, with a new anime series featuring new characters to be launched after that.

For millions of fans like me who literally grew up watching Ash catch Pokémon masters like Charizard and battle Team Rocket, this marks the end of childhood. The numbers showing Ash & Pikachu‘s sheer popularity and longevity over generations of fans are simply staggering:

• 1,100+ Pokémon anime episodes spanning 25 years
• Seen in over 100 countries by millions of viewers
• One of the longest running animated series globally

While sad, after 25 years perhaps it is time for a new anime journey reflecting the vast new Pokémon regions, games and cards unveiled in recent years. I for one will miss Ash, Pikachu and the gang – but will be eagerly tuning into the next Pokémon trainer‘s adventure as the franchise continues evolving!