Sophie Blake
LINE Manga has soared to new heights, breaking the $2 billion mark in global consumer spending, three years after the app initially crossed the $1 billion milestone, solidifying its position among the elite few in the non-gaming category. According to data.ai, LINE Manga, one of the best manga apps, now stands as the 15th app to reach this coveted $2 billion club, a distinction it shares with its flagship communication app, LINE, and places it alongside Google as the only other company with multiple $2 billion apps.
Joining the ranks of the $2 billion global consumer spenders, LINE Manga has become the second manga/webtoon app to accomplish this feat, achieving it just over a year after piccoma. The rapid growth of the manga/webtoon/comics subgenre is evident, with consumer spending surpassing $2.2 billion across iOS and Google Play in 2023—a staggering fivefold increase from the $0.45 billion recorded in 2018.
While Japan continues to dominate the market, contributing 72% of consumer spend in manga/webtoon/comics apps in 2023, a slight decrease from 77% in 2021, other players are gaining ground. Naver Webtoons, with revenue streams primarily from the United States and South Korea, is a notable exception. South Korea, in particular, has witnessed a meteoric rise, with consumer spending reaching $287 million in 2023, constituting approximately 13% of the global market. This significant surge from $82 million in 2021 highlights the rapid expansion of the comics app landscape in South Korea.
Despite the rising competition from South Korea, the market remains concentrated, with the United States and China being the only other contributors of over 1% of the global total in 2023. However, the success of emerging players in South Korea suggests that apps armed with compelling content may still find opportunities to break through in markets where comics apps are not yet prevalent. LINE Manga’s achievement underscores the vast potential within the industry, emphasizing that these apps have the capacity to generate billions of dollars in revenue.
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