[LINE] Over JPY 1.23 Billion in Total Sticker Sales, With Top 10-Selling Stickers Averaging JPY 22.3 Million. Total Sticker Sets Surpasses 11,092, Topping All Communication Services Worldwide

2014.08.20 LINE App

LINE Creators Market, a Platform That Allows Users to Sell Self-Made Stickers, Releases Sales and Usage Results for First 3-Month Period Since Launch

Tokyo, Japan – August 20, 2014 – LINE Corporation, owner and operator of the free call and messaging app LINE, announced the release of its sales and usage results for the three-month period between May 8 and August 7, 2014 since the launch of LINE Creators Market, a platform that allows users to create and sell self-made stickers.

LINE Creators Market is a platform where LINE users across the world can create and sell their own unique stickers. After being reviewed by LINE, stickers created by creators are made available for sale and purchase on LINE Web Store ( https://store.line.me ), as well as LINE’s in-app Sticker Shop. Creators receive approximately 50%＊1 of revenue from sticker sales.

Since the Creators Market was opened up to creator and sticker registrations on April 17, 2014, total creator registrations have surpassed 149,000 (Graph 1), while over 30,000 sticker sets＊2 (Graph 2) have been registered in the approximately three-and-a-half month later as of August 7. In addition, the total number of different registered creator nationalities has reached 124, exemplifying the fact that the Creators Market is a platform used by creators not only in Japan but throughout the world.

(Graph 1) (Graph 2)

Furthermore, in the three month period from May 8 to August 7 since launching the sale and purchase of creators’ stickers reviewed by LINE, sales of these stickers have exceeded a total of JPY 1.23 billion. The number of purchased sets has expanded to a total of 12.41 million, and 10,000 sticker sets are currently on sale as of August 19.

Looking at stickers broken down by sales, the top 10 ranked sticker sets have achieved an average of JPY 22.3 million in sales (Graph 3). Going further down the rankings, the top 30 ranked sticker sets have achieved an average of JPY 12.9 million, the top 100 an average of JPY 6.5 million, and the top 200 an average of JPY 4.1 million in sales. As many users continue to purchase sticker sets, the scale of the service has expanded rapidly since its launch. Meanwhile, a comparison of the amount of sales achieved by one sticker set (Graph 4) shows that 55.5% of stickers currently on sale have earned JPY 10,000 or more in sales, meaning that stickers other than those in the top-grossing ranks are also being purchased and used widely by users, and that LINE Creators Market has grown to become a platform through which individual creators with excellent and creative ideas can earn income through their own self-made stickers.

(Graph 3) (Graph 4)

Recently, as LINE’s user base continues expanding globally, the use of LINE stickers is steadily growing as well. Along with standard stickers available in every region, LINE also offers stickers localized to specific markets based on customs and cultures specific to individual regions, as well as locally popular characters. The total number of stickers currently available on the LINE platform has exceeded 11,351 sets (including 1,155 official sticker sets and 10,196 creators’ stickers), and the total number of LINE stickers sent and received in one day has reached a high of more than 1.8 billion.

As the leading provider of sticker-based communications, LINE will continue its efforts, including the Creators Market, to extend the reach of our communication platform even further throughout the world.

＊1:Creators are entitled to receive the paid out amount minus withholding tax, transfer fees, and other applicable charges. In addition, the applicable tax rate differs depending on the country of residence for both creators and purchasers.

＊2:Includes stickers currently awaiting review or in the process of being reviewed.