Toei Company returned to stronger profit growth as its exhibition division bounced back from theatrical market headwinds, driven by blockbuster anime films and an expanded network of multiplexes.
For the six months ending September, the Japanese entertainment conglomerate reported operating profit of ¥19.71 billion ($131 million), up 1.5% from a year earlier, on sales of ¥91.34 billion ($609 million). Net income surged 57% to ¥11.92 billion ($79 million).
The exhibition business proved the primary bright spot. Theater revenues climbed 40.8% to ¥13.99 billion ($93 million), while operating profit jumped 149.3% to ¥1.79 billion ($12 million), boosted by record-breaking films including “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” and several other anime titles that outperformed last year’s comparisons.
The results came despite Toei closing its last directly operated theater, the Marunouchi Toei, on July 27. The subsidiary T-Joy—which became fully owned last July—now operates 230 screens across 23 locations, positioning the company’s strategy toward partnership arrangements rather than direct venue management.
Video content sales rose 4.4% year-over-year, with franchises like “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball” driving demand for distribution rights across streaming platforms. Construction services delivered robust growth, with operating profit surging 123.2% as the company pursued larger commercial and multiplex projects.
Full-year guidance was revised upward in November, indicating net profit recovery to ¥205 billion despite lower expected revenue.
