Hit TV Shows Are Driving Millions in Merch Sales

It has been another big summer for TV — and not just because summer shows like FX’s (DIS) The Bear cleaned up at the 2024 Emmys Awards. Sales of show-related merch also surged in July and August, per a September study from marketing automation firm Omnisend.

Golden Age of TV Merch

The study examined Amazon (AMZN) sales of merch from several shows with new seasons that premiered this summer. The top performers were, perhaps unsurprisingly, fashion-forward shows like Netflix’s (NFLX) Emily in Paris and Bridgerton.

Bridgerton drove more than $7 million in revenue in just two months. A quarter of that stemmed from satin scrunchies alone. Emily in Paris came in second, netting nearly $2 million in merch sales between July and August, much of which came from reproductions of the titular character’s iconic phone case.

But it wasn’t all romantic dramas driving the sales. Genre fare like Sony’s (SONY) Cobra Kai, HBO’s (WBD) House of the Dragon, Amazon’s Rings of Power, and Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy each raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars in merch, thanks in large part to sales of collectibles like Funko Pop! (FNKO) figures.

Still, this marked a 13% decline in sales of science fiction and fantasy merch over those two months, while goods related to drama and romance shows surged by more than 27%, per Quartz.

Path to Profitability

The rise of streaming helped usher in a new Golden Age of Television often called “Peak TV” — a glut of shows that found success with critics and audiences alike. The vast majority of winners at this year’s Emmys were shows that premiered on streaming instead of network TV, for example.

However, most streaming services have struggled to turn this critical acclaim into commercial success. Among streamers, only Netflix has consistently achieved profitability. Disney+ and Max both reached the milestone for the first time this year.

Now media companies are seeking unique ways to monetize viewership, including shoppable ads. But given this summer’s success, the most obvious answer might also be the most viable one: good old-fashioned merchandising.

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