Nintendo has publicly named several outside partners: Universal Parks & Resorts for Nintendo-themed park areas, Illumination and Universal Pictures for Mario films, and Niantic for a location-based Pikmin mobile app. Pokémon collaborations involve a different corporate group, The Pokémon Company and its international arm, and should not be read as direct Nintendo deals. The list below covers the examples Nintendo and its partners have announced. It is not a complete record of every development, publishing, manufacturing or commercial relationship Nintendo has had.
Partners named in Nintendo’s own announcements
| Partner | Business area | Announced role | Announcement date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Parks & Resorts | Theme parks | Global partnership for Nintendo-themed environments at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood | November 29, 2016 |
| Illumination | Animated film production | Development of a film starring Mario | February 1, 2018 (Mario film); March 10, 2024 (a further animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. world) |
| Universal Pictures | Film financing and distribution | Co-financing of the Mario film with Nintendo and worldwide theatrical distribution, as stated in the 2018 announcement | February 1, 2018 |
| Niantic | Mobile applications | Creating a mobile application featuring Pikmin | March 23, 2021 |
Universal Parks & Resorts
Nintendo announced the park partnership in November 2016. Its stated purpose is Nintendo-themed environments at three Universal locations: Universal Studios Japan, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. Nintendo’s announcement said the park creative teams would work alongside Nintendo’s creative staff. The announcement does not state the contract value, the opening schedule for each area, or how revenue is divided. Those terms are not stated in the sources reviewed.
Illumination and Universal Pictures
Illumination is the production partner for Nintendo’s Mario films. Nintendo’s February 2018 announcement described a film starring Mario developed with Illumination. The same announcement stated that Nintendo and Universal Pictures would co-finance the film and that Universal Pictures would distribute it theatrically worldwide. Illumination’s role is development, and Universal Pictures’ role is financing and distribution. Each company’s share of the financing is not stated.
In March 2024, Nintendo and Illumination announced another animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. world. That announcement names Illumination as the partner. It does not restate the financing and distribution terms from 2018, so readers should not assume those terms apply to the newer project without confirmation.
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Niantic
In March 2021, Nintendo announced that Niantic and Nintendo would create a mobile application featuring Pikmin. The announcement describes a location-based experience. The announcement does not give a launch date or describe the monetization model. Niantic is the partner for that app, and Nintendo is the franchise owner.
Pokémon collaborations are a separate category
Pokémon products involve a different corporate structure. The Pokémon Company describes its licensing and tie-in program as a set of collaborations with licensees and brand partners across product categories. Its international arm, The Pokémon Company International, manages the Pokémon brand and licensing outside Asia. A LEGO and Pokémon partnership, announced in March 2025, names The Pokémon Company International as the Pokémon party. It does not make LEGO a Nintendo partner, and it does not make the Pokémon deal a Nintendo deal.
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How to read the word “partner”
“Partner” can describe very different relationships. When you compare deals, check these points:
- Named parties: Who signed or announced the deal? Nintendo, a Pokémon entity, or a third party?
- Business area: Is it a park, a film, a mobile app, a licensed product line or a game?
- Specific role: Does the partner develop, finance, distribute, operate or license the product?
- Franchise: Which franchise is involved, such as Mario, Pikmin or Pokémon?
- Date and place: Is the deal limited to Japan, the United States, or global markets?
Applying these checks to the examples above shows that a park deal, a film financing deal, a mobile app and a Pokémon licensing arrangement can each involve different parties with different responsibilities.
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What these announcements do not establish
- They do not establish a complete list of Nintendo partners. Hardware suppliers, game co-developers, regional publishers and retail partners are outside this list unless named in a cited announcement.
- They do not give financial terms, royalty rates, revenue splits or the size of any partner’s stake, except where a role is stated.
- They do not confirm whether any of these projects has changed since its announcement. The most recent announcement cited here is from March 2025, so later developments should be checked against current Nintendo, Universal, Illumination, Niantic or Pokémon Company releases.
Why this matters for personal finance readers
If you buy licensed Nintendo or Pokémon products, a park ticket or a film ticket, the brand owner and the company that produces or sells the item are often different organizations. Knowing which party is involved helps you judge who is responsible for a product, who handles returns or support, and where the money goes. The announcements above identify the partners, but they do not show how any individual purchase is divided between them.
If you follow Nintendo as an investment, these announcements show that its outside arrangements range from co-financing a film to licensing an app and a park area. Their size and profitability are not disclosed in the sources reviewed.
Quick Recap
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