Pokémon Go Could Make Apple $3 Billion

[Maura]

The staggering success of Pokémon Go is not only good news for Niantic and The Pokémon Company (which Nintendo has a stake in), but also for Apple, with AppleInsider reporting today that according to analyst Laura Martin from Needham that Apple could rake in as much as $3 billion from the game.

Martin’s figures are based on the fact that Candy Crush generated more than $10 billion per year in its most successful years, which were 2013 and 2014, and Pokémon Go has 10 times the players that Candy Crush had, with Apple getting 30% of any revenues from the App Store (many Pokémon Go players are on Android, however, it has to be said). It’s currently estimated that around 21 million people are playing Pokémon Go in the US, roughly 6 percent of the US populace. Going by the assumption that global penetration for the game will reach 20 percent in the countries where it is available, with Apple making 5 cents per person per day, that all adds up to an extra $3 billion for Apple over the next 2 years.

This could then see Apple’s market cap rising by as much as $5.5 billion, or $1 per share, said Martin. She also noted that Apple’s short-term cash flow from the game could be even higher than that of Nintendo, which has 33 percent of the Pokémon Company and a 30 percent stake in Niantic.

Source: Pokemon Go could add $3B to Apple revenues, analyst says