The "TableTop Bump," the increase in sales for titles featured on Geek & Sundry's TableTop series, is a formidable force, with sales on titles from the first season up a whopping 79% on average, according to an analysis by Alliance Game Distributors, shared with ICv2.
The average bump for titles featured in the second season, which had not completed at the time of this analysis, was 44%. It's too early to say whether that indicates that the second season is having a smaller impact. Unlike broadcast or cable shows, TableTop episodes are perpetually available, and build audiences over time. And it may also be that expansion of sales of games leads to further expansion down the road in a virtuous circle, as networks of players form, and new players in the network begin to buy games too.
There has been some increase in the game market not attributable to TableTop, so it's possible that some of the increased sales on these titles would have happened even without being featured on the show. But given the numbers, it's pretty clear that the show has a substantial impact on sales.
We added views to date for each episode, to see if those had an impact, but there does not appear to be a direct correlation between the number of views and the percentage increase in sales. For example, three games featured on the same episode, originally aired on May 4, 2012, had sales bumps ranging from 20% to 200%.
The Alliance Game Distributors sales increase is measured from a baseline three months before the original release of the TableTop episode, and compared to a recent rolling three month average. A handful of games were not included because Alliance didn't carry them at some point during the analysis or for other reasons.
Percent Increase in Sales for 'TableTop' Titles | |||||
Bump |
Manufacturer |
Game Name |
Air Date |
YouTube Views (as of 10/29/13) | |
|
|
|
|
| |
Season One | |||||
100% |
Days of Wonder |
Small World |
3/30/2012 |
1,236,666 | |
40% |
|
Settlers of Catan |
4/20/2012 |
675,062 | |
20% |
Calliope |
Tsuro: The Game of the Path |
5/4/2012 |
1,005,141 | |
200% |
Mayday Games |
Get Bit |
5/4/2012 |
1,005,141 | |
20% |
Steve Jackson |
Zombie Dice Game |
5/4/2012 |
1,005,141 | |
120% |
Days of Wonder |
Ticket To Ride |
5/18/2012 |
650,846 | |
30% |
Steve Jackson |
Munchkin Card Game (2010 Revised Ed.) |
6/1/2012 |
978,312 | |
10% |
Steve Jackson |
Munchkin Deluxe |
6/1/2012 |
978,312 | |
90% |
Fireside |
Castle Panic: Board Game |
6/15/2012 |
505,767 | |
20% |
Atlas Games |
Gloom |
6/29/2012 |
550,593 | |
300% |
Bully Pulpit Games |
Fiasco RPG |
7/13/2012 |
504,493 | |
20% |
North Star Games |
Say Anything |
8/9/2012 |
414,443 | |
300% |
Fantasy Flight |
Elder Sign |
8/23/2012 |
694,355 | |
100% |
Asmodee |
Dixit |
9/6/2012 |
409,846 | |
30% |
North Star Games |
Wits and Wagers: 2nd Edition |
9/21/2012 |
422,950 | |
10% |
Flying Frog Productions |
Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game |
10/18/2012 |
581,698 | |
40% |
Looney Labs |
Star Fluxx |
11/1/2012 |
454,886 | |
30% |
Steve Jackson |
Chez Geek: House Party Edition |
1/17/2013 |
326,122 | |
30% |
Green Ronin |
Dragon Age RPG Boxed Set |
1/31/2013 |
556,304 | |
79% |
|
Season 1 Average |
|
681,899 | |
|
|
|
|
| |
Season Two | |||||
120% |
Asmodee |
Formula D |
4/4/2013 |
370,102 | |
40% |
IndieBoardsandCards |
Resistance (2nd Edition) |
4/18/2013 |
615,366 | |
60% |
Atlas Games |
Once Upon a Time: 3rd Edition |
5/2/2013 |
312,655 | |
20% |
IELLO |
King of |
5/16/2013 |
390,883 | |
50% |
Gamewright |
Forbidden |
5/30/2013 |
298,383 | |
10% |
Alderac |
Smash Up |
6/13/2013 |
291,320 | |
10% |
Fantasy Flight |
Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game: Core Set |
8/8/2013 |
381,832 | |
44% |
|
Season 2 Average |
|
380,077 |