Franchises and blockbusters dominate the highest-grossing movies worldwide

Key takeways

  • Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie globally, earning $2.92 billion.
  • Titanic, released in 1997, is still among the top-grossing films with $2.22 billion, showing the lasting appeal of classics.
  • Recent films like Avatar: The Way of Water ($2.32 billion) and Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92 billion) prove that sequels and superhero films continue to drive massive revenues.
  • Disney properties dominate the list, with multiple Marvel, Star Wars, and animated films ranking among the top earners.

The list of highest-grossing movies globally continues to be dominated by major franchises, with Avatar leading at $2.92 billion. Marvel films secure multiple spots, including Avengers: Endgame at $2.75 billion, while classics like Titanic and newer entries like The Super Mario Bros. Movie maintain billion-dollar earnings. The dominance of Disney, superhero films, and nostalgia-driven movies remains evident in global box office trends.

Source:

The Numbers

Period:

2025
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is to receive 1.1% of the 2026 sports budget
  • The NFF’s allocation of ₦2.31 billion is under 1.1% of the total sports budget.
  • The National Sports Commission HQ gets the most, with ₦203.6 billion, over 96% of the total.
  • The National Institute for Sports is to receive ₦4.12 billion, highlighting minimal federal investment in sports development.
  • Budget heavily favours administration over football development and grassroots programs.

Only nine African artistes have achieved multiple award wins in Grammy Awards’ history
  • Only nine African artistes have won multiple Grammy Awards, highlighting how rare repeat wins remain at the global level.
  • Angélique Kidjo and Ladysmith Black Mambazo lead Africa with five wins each, but Ladysmith holds the record for the most nominations (17).
  • High nomination counts do not guarantee wins; Seal (15 nominations) and Tems (8 nominations) have fewer wins than peers with far fewer nominations.
  • Recent entrants are closing the gap quickly, with Tyla converting 100% of her two nominations into wins.

Nigerian artistes have won a total of 16 Grammy Awards since its inception in 1959
  • Nigerian artistes have won 16 Grammy Awards in total since the awards’ inception in 1959.
  • Sade Adu and Seal lead all Nigerian-linked artistes with four wins each.
  • Tems represents the new generation, combining multiple wins with a high number of nominations.
  • Burna Boy’s 13 nominations and one win highlight the gap between recognition and awards.
  • Wizkid and several others have entered Grammy history but have yet to convert nominations into multiple wins.
  • Earlier Grammy successes were mostly by Nigerian-born artistes based abroad.
  • Recent wins have come from artistes rooted in Africa’s contemporary music scene.
  • The 2026 Grammys, with Tyla’s win and Fela’s recognition, highlight Africa’s growing influence in global music.

Fela Kuti’s most-streamed track boasts 34 million streams on Spotify
  • “Water No Get Enemy” dominates Fela’s Spotify catalogue with 34 million streams, nearly double the second-ranked track.
  • “Zombie” remains one of his most powerful digital performers, with 19.7 million streams.
  • The top two songs account for a large share of total streams, indicating strong concentration around a few classics.
  • Politically and socially themed tracks rank highest, suggesting listeners connect strongly with Fela’s activist legacy.
  • Only three songs have crossed the 10-million-stream mark, showing a steep drop after the top tier.

Following Senegal’s AFCON 25’ victory, West and North African countries now have the same number of titles (12)
  • West Africa now has 12 AFCON championships, equal to North Africa’s total after Senegal’s latest win.
  • Egypt is AFCON’s most successful nation with 7 titles.
  • Cameroon (5 titles) and Ghana (4) form the second tier of AFCON’s most successful teams.
  • 15 countries feature on the list of champions, reflecting sustained competitiveness.

Nigeria and Cameroon each rose 12 positions in the latest FIFA African soccer ranking
  • Morocco leads Africa and is ranked 8th globally.
  • Nigeria and Cameroon recorded the biggest jumps, each rising 12 positions.
  • Senegal is Africa’s second-best team at 12th in the world.
  • Algeria and Egypt continue to stay relevant at the top despite slower ranking movement.
  • DR Congo and Mali show strong upward momentum, reflecting growing competitiveness beyond the traditional giants.
  • Ghana’s position outside Africa’s top ten highlights the cost of inconsistent results.

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