Pokemon Day Statistics in US 2026 | Key Facts

Pokemon Day in America 2026

Pokemon Day 2026 is far more than a routine anniversary. Falling on February 27, 2026, this year’s celebration marks a full 30 years since Nintendo and Game Freak launched Pokémon Red and Green in Japan back in 1996 — and America is showing up in a massive way. Across the United States, fans are logging into apps, opening booster packs, attending local league events, tuning into livestreams, and hunting down rare collectibles at a pace that reflects just how deeply rooted this franchise is in American pop culture. The Pokémon Company International kicked off its official Pokémon Presents broadcast on February 27, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. PST, streaming across YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok — a clear signal that the brand knows exactly where its US fanbase lives.

What makes Pokemon Day in the US in 2026 so remarkable isn’t just the nostalgia angle — it’s the hard numbers behind it. The Pokémon franchise has now become the highest-grossing entertainment media property of all time, with an estimated $288 billion in lifetime revenue as of December 2025. From record-breaking card auctions held in New Jersey to state-by-state Google search data revealing America’s most obsessed Pokémon fans, the data tells a compelling story of a franchise that has not just survived three decades but accelerated into them. As the US enters this 30th anniversary year, every metric — from game downloads to card market values — is pointing upward.

Interesting Facts About Pokemon Day in the US 2026

Before diving into the data tables, here are the key facts and figures that paint the clearest picture of Pokemon Day in America 2026:

Source: Guinness World Records (Feb 2026), ACE.com State Study (Feb 2026), Pokemon.com, Global Market Insights, Mordor Intelligence, Business of Apps, The Pokémon Company Financial Filings (June 2025), PokemonPriceTracker Q1 2026, Statista.

The numbers above speak to a franchise that has masterfully bridged generations, platforms, and media formats. The $16.49 million Pikachu Illustrator card sale at Goldin Auctions in New Jersey on February 16, 2026 — just 11 days before Pokemon Day — set a new Guinness World Record as the most expensive trading card ever sold at auction, outpacing every sports card in history. That single event alone captured national headlines and set the tone for a 30th anniversary celebration unlike any that came before it. Meanwhile, the search data from ACE.com showing Montana leading the US with 1,024 Pokémon searches per 10,000 people is a reminder that the franchise’s grip is not limited to major metropolitan areas — it runs deep in states that don’t typically make gaming headlines.

The $288 billion in franchise lifetime revenue as of December 2025, according to Civixplorer’s analysis, positions Pokémon miles ahead of its nearest competitor Hello Kitty at $88.5 billion. It’s also the clearest financial argument for why Pokemon Day 2026 commands the kind of cultural moment it does in the United States. With The Pokémon Company reporting a record net sales figure of 411 billion yen (~$2.9 billion USD) for fiscal year ending February 2025, the business engine behind the celebration is stronger than it has ever been.

Pokemon Franchise Revenue & Market Size in the US 2026

Source: Civixplorer (December 2025), Japanese Government Official Gazette via Kantan Games (June 2025), Box Office Mojo/Statista (November 2024), Mordor Intelligence Trading Card Game Market Report (Jan 2026), Global Market Insights (December 2025).

When The Pokémon Company crossed the 100 billion yen operating profit threshold for the first time in its fiscal year ending February 2025, it did so without the release of a major new console game. The primary growth driver was Pokémon TCG Pocket, a free-to-play mobile card app launched in October 2024 with partner DeNA, which generated $90.4 million in February 2025 alone. That a single mobile app could generate nearly $100 million in revenue in a single month — without a blockbuster Switch game launch — underlines just how diverse and durable the franchise’s US and global revenue streams have become. For context, the US trading card game market was valued at $2.2 billion in 2025, with Pokémon holding a dominant 12%+ global TCG market share and consistently ranking as the bestselling TCG by total dollar volume.

Looking at the broader picture, Pokémon’s $288 billion in estimated lifetime revenue as of December 2025 puts the franchise in a completely different tier than any other entertainment property in history. Its nearest rival, Hello Kitty, sits at $88.5 billion — less than a third of what Pokémon has generated. The Detective Pikachu film’s $144.11 million North American box office gross represents only a small slice of the franchise’s US revenue, with video games, trading cards, merchandise, and digital apps contributing the overwhelming majority. With FY2025 net sales of ~$2.9 billion and a forecast US TCG market growing toward $3+ billion by the late 2020s, the financial story of Pokémon Day 2026 is one of continued, compounding strength.

Pokemon GO Statistics in the US 2026

Source: Sensor Tower via LocaChange (2025), Business of Apps (2025), Statista (2024), LocaChange Pokemon GO Statistics Report (January 2026).

The United States is, by every measurable metric, the single largest Pokémon GO market on the planet. With approximately 123.2 million downloads — representing 18.2% of all global installs — the US has consistently been the top country for the game since its launch in July 2016. Even as Pokémon GO’s global revenue declined from its $908.93 million peak in 2020 to $545 million in 2024, the US remained the dominant revenue contributor, accounting for roughly 38% of all global revenue from the game. The franchise’s North America and Latin America region has collectively generated approximately $2.62 billion in lifetime player spending, representing about 43% of total global revenue — a figure that underscores just how central American fans are to the game’s financial success.

The demographic profile of Pokémon GO’s US player base in 2026 reflects the franchise’s cross-generational appeal. With an average player age of 26 years, the player base is dominated by millennials who grew up with the franchise in the late 1990s and early 2000s — but it also draws teenagers and players well into their 30s and 40s. The split between 58.7% male and 41.3% female players shows a reasonably balanced gender distribution, particularly impressive for a franchise that has traditionally been stereotyped as skewing heavily male. With 122–125 million monthly active users globally in 2025 and daily peaks reaching 15+ million concurrent users during Go Fest events, Pokémon GO remains one of the most engaged mobile gaming communities in the world — a remarkable achievement nearly a decade after its initial launch.

Most Pokemon-Obsessed States in the US 2026

Source: ACE.com State-by-State Pokémon Obsession Study (February 2026), analyzing 36 months of Google search data per capita for Pokémon characters. Reported by WNBF News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM and Union Leader (February 27, 2026).

The ACE.com study released ahead of Pokemon Day 2026 delivered some genuinely surprising findings about where Pokémon fandom runs deepest across the United States. Montana, a state with a population of roughly 1.1 million, topped the national rankings with a staggering 1,024 searches per 10,000 people per month for Pokémon characters — generating over 117,000 monthly Pokémon searches in total. Montana’s favorite Pokémon, Okidogi, is an unusual pick, reflecting a quirky state-specific preference that diverges sharply from the franchise’s most iconic characters. New York, despite ranking only ninth on a per-capita basis with 703 searches per 10,000 residents, generates over 1.4 million monthly Pokémon searches in absolute terms, driven by its massive population — with Lugia emerging as the Empire State’s top Pokémon pick.

What the data reveals most clearly is that Pokémon fandom in 2026 is genuinely national — not just a coastal or urban phenomenon. States like Utah and Maryland sharing a preference for the fossil Pokémon Kabuto, and both California and Virginia gravitating toward Persian, show how regional preferences have developed organically over 30 years of franchise history. The survey method — analyzing 36 months of Google search data per capita — makes this one of the most methodologically rigorous state-level Pokémon fandom studies ever conducted. The fact that Montana, not California or New York, leads the rankings is the kind of finding that only data can surface, and it speaks to how thoroughly the franchise has penetrated every corner of American life.

Pokemon Trading Card Game Market Data in the US 2026

Source: Global Market Insights Trading Card Games Market Report (December 2025), Mordor Intelligence Trading Card Game Market Report (January 2026), Goldin Auctions/Guinness World Records (February 2026), PokemonPriceTracker Q1 2026 Data Report, eBay via cllct.com (January 2026), Accio.com TCG Market Analysis (February 2026).

The Pokemon trading card market in the US in 2026 is experiencing what collectors and analysts are calling a golden era. With the US accounting for approximately 81% of North American TCG revenue and North America itself making up 40.50% of the global TCG market, the American collector and player base is the single most important commercial force in the entire industry. The milestone that will define Pokemon Day 2026 in collector circles, however, is undeniably the Pikachu Illustrator PSA 10 card auction at Goldin Auctions in New Jersey on February 16, 2026 — just 11 days before Pokemon Day. Logan Paul’s card sold for a final price of $16,492,000 (including buyer’s premium), smashing the previous record for any trading card ever sold at auction and earning Guinness World Records certification. The winning bidder, AJ Scaramucci of Solari Capital, purchased the card on-site, making it an immediate, in-person transfer.

The broader market data reinforces just how extraordinary Pokemon card values have become in America. A 3,821% total market value increase for Pokémon cards since 2004 — compared to the S&P 500’s 483% growth over the same period — is one of the most staggering alternative asset performance records of the modern era. Even within just the last quarter before Pokemon Day, the Ascended Heroes TCG set released on January 30, 2026 was described as “the largest English set ever produced” with over 290 cards, reinvigorating collector demand for the franchise’s 30th anniversary. eBay, one of the primary secondary market platforms for US card sales, reported 11 consecutive quarters of accelerating growth in Trading Cards gross merchandise value, with Pokémon consistently named among the hottest categories. The record-setting February 2026 Goldin auction results — including a 1999 First Edition Charizard at $954,808 — demonstrate that the top tier of the Pokémon card market shows no sign of cooling.

Pokemon Day 2026 Events & Activations in the US 2026

Source: Pokemon.com Official Announcements (February 27, 2026), Bulbapedia Pokemon Day 2026 entry (edited Feb 27, 2026), GameSpot (February 2026), The Telegraph (Alton, Illinois, February 2026), Game8.co Pokemon Day 2026 roundup (February 27, 2026).

The sheer scale of activations tied to Pokemon Day in the US in 2026 reflects the 30th anniversary’s elevated ambition compared to any previous year. The Pokémon Presents livestream broadcast at 6:00 AM PST on February 27, 2026 covered updates across no fewer than eight active Pokémon titles — including Pokémon Legends: Z-A, TCG Pocket, Pokémon GO, Pokémon UNITE, Masters EX, Sleep, and Café ReMix — as well as details on the 2026 Pokémon World Championships and the Pokémon Red & Blue Game Music Collection: Game Boy Jukebox. The launch of first-ever official LEGO Pokémon sets representing an entirely new licensing frontier for the franchise made headlines in its own right. And the eBay Pokémon Day 2026 Live event — running 8 AM to 5 PM PT on February 27 with live streaming — brought the auction world directly into mainstream consumer view, democratizing access to rare collectibles that previously existed only in specialist circles.

At the grassroots level, events like the Old Bakery Beer Company Pokémon Day Market in Alton, Illinois — featuring 17 local vendors selling handcrafted Pokémon art, jewelry, stained glass, and comics — illustrate how the franchise’s 30th anniversary is resonating all the way down to community-level creators and small businesses. The Pokémon TCG Pocket login bonus event running from February 27 to June 26, 2026 — offering 30 free daily booster packs and anniversary accessories — ensures that even casual digital players across the US are brought into the celebration for a sustained four-month window. When combined with the major retail activations at Walmart and the simultaneous rollout across every major Pokémon game platform, Pokemon Day 2026 in the US emerges as the most comprehensively coordinated franchise-wide event in the brand’s three-decade history.

Pokemon Video Game Sales Data in the US 2026

Source: Nintendo/VGChartz via Statista (March 2025, accessed February 2026), Pokemon.com official announcements (February 27, 2026), Game8.co Pokémon Day 2026 roundup (February 27, 2026), Sensor Tower.

The video game pillar of the Pokémon franchise remains one of the most commercially successful in history. With over 480 million video game units sold worldwide, Pokémon ranks as the #2 best-selling video game franchise on the planet, trailing only Nintendo’s own Mario series. For Pokemon Day 2026 in the US, the video game front is particularly exciting, with Pokémon Champions confirmed for an April 2026 Nintendo Switch launch — its mobile release to follow — representing a major new entry point into competitive play for American fans. The Pokémon Presents broadcast on February 27 also provided updates on Pokémon Legends: Z-A and unveiled the PokémonXP project, keeping the franchise’s game pipeline full heading into a milestone anniversary year.

The American video game market’s relationship with the Pokémon franchise in 2026 is one shaped heavily by mobile gaming. Pokémon GO’s 123.2 million US downloads — the highest of any country globally — reflect how the franchise used augmented reality to not just reach its existing fanbase but expand it dramatically into demographics that had never touched a Game Boy. Meanwhile, Pokémon TCG Pocket, the free-to-play digital card app launched in October 2024, generated $90.4 million in revenue in February 2025 alone, demonstrating that the franchise’s ability to convert free players into paying customers through well-designed digital experiences is as sharp as ever. The combination of a historic 30th anniversary milestone, new console game launches, and the ongoing mobile ecosystem means the US video game side of Pokémon Day 2026 is firing on every cylinder simultaneously.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.