Pottermore Records £31.5 Million in Sales Prior to Overhaul
Prior to Pottermore’s transition to Wizarding World Digital in October, the site recorded a stunning £31.5 million in sales in the fiscal year ending in March 2019, according to The Bookseller. While this was actually a decline in revenue for the website for its second consecutive year, it was expected by Pottermore’s management.
The results pre-date the closure of Pottermore.com, with the content shifting to a new website, Wizardingworld.com, a joint venture with Warner Bros, which makes the films, including the new Fantastic Beasts series. The company said the revenue decline, for a second consecutive year, was in line with management expectations but added that digital publishing sales benefited from more global distribution and the continued popularity of the Harry Potter stories, bolstered by new product and the twentieth[-]anniversary activity in the US.
As reported by The Bookseller, Pottermore’s revenue peaked in 2017, during which it brought in £40.3 million. It was reported that a new strategy for Pottermore was being sought back in March of 2018, which resulted in the current Wizarding World Digital.
Neil Blair, Chairman of Pottermore and J.K. Rowling’s agent, was quoted in the piece as saying that 2019 was “another very good year” for the site. He also expressed his confidence in Wizarding World Digital.
Sales of e-books and digital audiobooks remain strong as the original Harry Potter series continues to find new audiences. Trading in the year to 31 March 2020 has, so far, been in line with management expectations. Sales of Harry Potter e-books and digital audiobooks remain extremely strong, and I expect that the current financial year will deliver another good result. Our joint venture with Warner Bros is progressing well, and I am very confident that the creation of Wizarding World Digital will deepen fan engagement.
You can visit Wizarding World Digital at wizardingworld.com. You can read the full piece from The Bookseller on the publication’s website.
Are you a fan of Wizarding World Digital? What do you hope to see from it in the future?
