What this is
The only filed rate structure covering Pokémon merchandise: 4Kids' licences as agent from 1999 to 2005, with royalties of 4–15% of wholesale, later 4–20%, terms of one to three years renewable on minimums, and the agent keeping about 26–30% of royalties.
How it’s built
- The rates, terms and commission range come from 4Kids' annual reports for 2000 and 2001, which describe all the properties it represented, Pokémon being the largest.
- The share kept is 4Kids' licensing revenue divided by that revenue plus what it passed on to licensors: 25.9% in 1999, 26.2% in 2000 and 29.5% in 2001.
What we assumed
- 4Kids' licensing revenue was all commission.The filings report licensing revenue net of what was paid to licensors, so the difference is the agent's share; any other income in that line would overstate it.
- The terms apply to Pokémon.They are stated for all properties, but Pokémon dominated 4Kids' licensing in those years.
Sanity check
Halving the wholesale rates to a retail basis gives 2–10% of the shop price, which brackets the 5.5–8.7% yields the site uses for today.
Where it comes from
Our calculation from other figures in the trainer’s notes:
- FiledSegment revenue (commission, net), FY1999$49.9m
- FiledLicensor participations netted from revenue, all properties (Pokemon 82%/95%/66% of net revenue), FY1999$142.4m
- EstimateEstimated royalty income The Pokémon Company earned from Western licensed merchandise in 2025
Show the working
- retention FY1999 25.9%, FY2000 26.2%, FY2001 29.5%
- 4-15% and 4-20% x 0.5 = 2-7.5% and 2-10% of retail
Where it’s used
Related figures
Built from this one