History CashCowFranchise / WesternAnimation

* For Creator/PBSKids, ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' became a cash cow and it is the 2nd longest running animated series in America as well. To a lesser extent, ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'', ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'', ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'', ''WesternAnimation/SidTheScienceKid'', ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman'', ''WesternAnimation/TheCatInTheHatKnowsALotAboutThat'', ''WesternAnimation/SuperWhy'' and ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'' were this for much of the 2000s and 2010s. Currently their other flagship animated shows include ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'', ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', and ''WesternAnimation/WildKratts''.

* Despite the show not doing well in TV ratings when it first aired, ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'' merchandise tends to sell really well for a Nickelodeon show, being a staple at stores such as Hot Topic. The popularity of merchandise sales was one of the factors that lead to the creation of ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZimEnterTheFlorpus'' in TheNewTens.

* ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'', ''WesternAnimation/EdEddnEddy'', and ''WesternAnimation/CourageTheCowardlyDog'' became cash cows for Cartoon Network.

* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': has had three seasons finished, a fourth season currently airing, three new seasons in production, two finished specials, two web series, and a [[TheMovie two theratical films currently under production]]. It's also spawned several comic books and a manga, and has become a ratings hit on various Disney Channels around the world, and it has several live stage shows. There’s also a chunk load of merchandise for the series too, from toys to clothing.

* ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'': Spin Master's very first TV show has spawned tons of spin-off merchandise. If there's a product for toddlers out there, chances are that there will be a ''PAW Patrol'' version of said product. The toy line upon which the show is based and the basis for what made the show popular rivals ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' in size. There's also a series of touring shows, a theme park attraction at Nickelodeon Universe, five hime console video games, and even two [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMovie theatrical]] [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMightyMovie movies]]. This even gets a hilarious mention in the first movie, where Ryder reveals that most of their funding for a hi-tech base came from officially-licensed PAW Patrol merchandise.

* ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'': Spin Master's very first TV show has spawned tons of spin-off merchandise. If there's a product for toddlers out there, chances are that there will be a ''PAW Patrol'' version of said product. The toy line upon which the show is based and the basis for what made the show popular rivals ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' in size. There's also a series of touring shows, a theme park attraction at Nickelodeon Universe and even [[WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolTheMovie a movie]]. This even gets a hilarious mention in the latter, where Ryder reveals that most of their funding for a hi-tech base came from officially-licensed PAW Patrol merchandise.

** One of Entertainment One's other preschool shows, ''WesternAnimation/PJMasks'', despite being second fiddle to ''PAW Patrol'', and ''Miraculous Ladybug'', is also this, getting everything from backpacks and costumes and even a live show. Until ''WesternAnimation/{{Muppet Babies|2018}}'' premiered, it was Disney Junior's highest-rated show, beating out their own in-house productions in ratings.

** One of Entertainment One's other preschool shows, ''WesternAnimation/PJMasks'', is also this, getting everything from backpacks and costumes and even a live show. Until ''WesternAnimation/{{Muppet Babies|2018}}'' premiered, it was Disney Junior's highest-rated show, beating out their own in-house productions in ratings.

* For Creator/AdultSwim, ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'', ''[[WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers The Venture Bros.]]'' and ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' were their three cash cow shows in [[TheNoughties The 2000's]], but in TheNewTens, it became ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'', which truly put them on the map. The network was also famous for being the home away from home of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' for over 18 years. It was credited for the show's aforementioned vindication and renewal, and gave it a proper sendoff when their syndication rights finally expired in 2021.

* The success of the 1964 holiday special ''[[WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'' is responsible for making Creator/RankinBassProductions a household name and put them on the map. While the studio has been around since 1960, their Rudolph special is the company's most well-known work. To a smaller degree, ''WesternAnimation/FrostyTheSnowman'' and ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'' also helped make the studio become well-known to the general public but not to the extent as Rudolph. Rankin/Bass is commonly referred as "The King of Christmas Specials" by the general public even after the studio shutdown in the early 2000s. Their other big franchise
aside from their Christmas specials, ''[[WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985 ThunderCats]]'', kept them on the map throughout the latter half of the 1980s; spawning a huge amount of merchandise of its own, and becoming equally as well-remembered enough to gain [[WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011 two short-]][[WesternAnimation/ThunderCatsRoar lived reboots]].

* The success of the 1964 holiday special ''[[WesternAnimation/RudolphTheRedNosedReindeer1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'' is responsible for making Creator/RankinBassProductions a household name and put them on the map. While the studio has been around since 1960, their Rudolph special is the company's most well-known work. To a smaller degree, ''WesternAnimation/FrostyTheSnowman'' and ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'' also helped make the studio become well-known to the general public but not to the extent as Rudolph. Rankin/Bass is commonly referred as "The King of Christmas Specials" by the general public even after the studio shutdown in the early 2000s.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' has become this for Cartoon Network in the years following its debut, [[BrokenBase in spite of its heavily mixed reception]]. It gets higher ratings than anything on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel[[note]] which actually has lead to Disney losing their earnings and cancelling popular shows on networks they own such as ''Series/TheMuppets2015'' and ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld'' to lose less money[[/note]], has a small toyline that is popular with kids of all ages and genders, has fast food tie ins at nearly every United States fast food chain imaginable, and eventually got [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGoToTheMovies its own theatrical movie!]]

* For Creator/PBSKids, ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'' became a cash cow and it is the 2nd longest running animated series in America as well. To a lesser extent, ''WesternAnimation/DragonTales'', ''WesternAnimation/MarthaSpeaks'', ''WesternAnimation/WordGirl'', ''WesternAnimation/SidTheScienceKid'', ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman'',
''WesternAnimation/TheCatInTheHatKnowsALotAboutThat'', ''WesternAnimation/SuperWhy'' and ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'' were this for much of the 2000s and 2010s. Currently their other flagship animated shows include ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'', ''WesternAnimation/CuriousGeorge'', and ''WesternAnimation/WildKratts''.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'' has three sequels (''Alien Force'', ''Ultimate Alien'', and ''Omniverse'') and a 2016 reboot, four made-for-TV movies, LOTS of toys, EVEN MORE merchandising tat (Yes, ''tat''. Poorly designed and useless trinkets that no one in the right mind will touch.), and there's even a [[http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k11/june/june33.php stage show and a game show]] being based off it [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff in India]]. You know it's CN's cash cow when it airs on certain international CN feeds seemingly ten times a day. The 2016 series was ''even more'' [[MerchandiseDriven toyetic]], with some aliens being redesigned to be more toy-friendly and executives even once ordering extra episodes for the express of showcasing Kevin's alien forms and little else.

** Nickelodeon and its parent company, Creator/ParamountGlobal, have ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' as their main cash cow. An article showed that ''Atlantis [=SquarePantis=]'' scored the show's highest ratings ever in both the original, pre-movie run and the current, post-movie run, further cementing the fact that the sponge will not die. Real-life sea sponges can live up to 700 years old, so [=SpongeBob=] may be the same. ''[=SpongeBob=]'' is Paramount's most profitable show, and has been since it was UnCancelled. As in, it has generated 13 ''billion'' dollars in merchandising sales. Dang. There was [[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.stylelist.com/blog/media/2009/01/n5500051_38626415_4398.jpg this SpongeBob pendant]] that sold for 75 grand at the last Sundance festival. The first movie made over $32 million on its opening weekend, on its way to over $85 million in the United States and over $140 million worldwide, while the second movie made $321.1 million worldwide! Now THAT'S the power of the yellow sponge for ya. It's got ''two'' theme park rides, and there's even a live show in the United Kingdom and [[Theatre/TheSpongeBobMusical a Broadway show]]!

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}}'' was also a juggernaut of a franchise once upon a time, but his popularity has declined since then (aside from the fantastic DVD collections).

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' and ''Western Animation/StevenUniverse'' have also been giant successes.

* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' have also been giant successes.

* ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'' was once a hugely popular franchise, allowing his theatrical cartoons to last all the way up to the early 1970s (when theatrical cartoons had all but completely died out) and make oodles of cash off loads of toys and assorted merchandise, and having a hit TV show which aired for decades also helped. But eventually, with the failure of ''[[SoOkayItsAverage The New Woody Woodpecker Show]]'', as well as Universal's lack of interest in promoting the character outside mascot costumes at the [[Ride/UniversalStudios Universal Theme Parks]] and the DVD collections, Woody's status has degenerated into a state of near-obscurity (except in countries [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff where he's still popular]]).

* WesternAnimation/BettyBoop still appears on a lot of merchandise, despite the fact that a large percentage of the people buying the merchandise have probably never watched a Betty Boop cartoon in their lives. Perhaps it's a Cash Cow FranchiseZombie?

* Creator/CartoonNetwork has sparked a cult following the addition of ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. You can find T-shirts of all sorts (including show catchphrases and a variation of the face expression {{MemeticMutation}}), wallets in the shape of Finn's head, and so forth.