Which sci-fi franchise is more successful overall?
SW: 5 films, 3 tv specials, 1 sat morn cartoon, plus novels, videogames, and merchandise.
ST: 9 films, 5 series, 1 sat morn cartoon, plus novels, videogames, and merchandise.
Obviously, Star Trek has been at it longer, but which franchise has made the most gross profits overall?
Hard to tell as studios sometimes try to either hide profits (when the government is looking) or sit around and boast about it (when the stockholders are looking).
Plus, profits for who?
How much has Fox made from SW and Paramount from ST?
How much Lucas has made from SW and Roddenberry from ST?
Then of course there is the ever popular and oh so fun adjusting for inflation.
My WAG is Star Wars (not entirely “wild”):
Here’s a site for the adjusted (for 2002) grosses of the movies.
Star Wars 5 films at almost $3bil. are about 3X what Star Trek Movies have made. In fact, even the poorest performer (Clones) performed better than two of the Star Trek movies combined
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/adjusted/
Here’s a site saying another $4billion worth of merchandise came from Star Wars
http://www.canoe.ca/PhantomToys/may14_collect.html
I have no idea what the Syndication of (all) the Star Trek series have brought in, but giving the franchises equal merchandsing income (-which I seriously doubt : I am fairly sure SW is substantially more, but for the sake of this arguement say it was a wash) was the ST syndication $$ enough to make up the difference of circa $2billion?
I doubt it, but I cannot produce sites
I think they were both remarkably successful in dumbing down science fiction, but SW probably more so.
Oh, that’s not what you’re asking, is it? 
Weren’t there two SW saturday morning cartoons?
Ewok adventures and Droids!
And lets not forget the two ewok films, and the X-mas special!! (okay, let’s forget them!)
There was both “Droids” and “Ewoks,” though IIRC the latter was originally teamed with the former before becoming its own show.
I’d have to say that it’s Star Wars, based solely on the toys. Nerds own Trek toys (mostly plastic do-it-yourself models of the various Enterprises). All kids own Star Wars toys, ranging from action figures to several styles of full-size lightsabers to dancing electronic R2D2s to Lego sets.
Not mine. I’d like him to grow up before he’s 30.
'Cept Star Wars never referred to “quantum flux” as a means of trying to sound intelligent.
Where?!
I don’t think the OP’s question is specific enough.
I mean, most successful for who exactly? Their respective creators, Roddenberry and Lucas? The studios and production houses alone? Do we add the toy companies’ profits in as a net gross?
When it comes to the gross gross of monies moved per “franchise”, I think Star Trek wins.
I think the sum of every commercial dollar paid to local TV stations worldwide for TOS reruns for the last 33+ years likely outstrips Star Wars movie and toy revenue, alone. Am I off here?
AmbushBug
Ok according to Shatner in “GET A LIFE” He was informed by aramount that Trek’s merchandising and licencing over the last thirty odd years has netted… hold on to your hats… You holding them… 50 Billion dollars.
50 Billion… I think, if those numbers are remotely true Trek wins hands down.
Copied from SPOOFE’s link:
If this is accurate, I think Star Trek comes out ahead.
I’ve never considered Star Wars sf. It’s an epic fantasy with a sf wrapper. YMMV.
Quoth jjtm:
In the basement of the house of the guy who threw the Halloween party I went to. Sorry if that’s not very helpful, but I’m not sure where he got it. It was voice-activated, which I’m told actually works pretty well when it’s not in the middle of a party. You say things like “Hey Artoo! Go on patrol”, and he’d start roaming around (with collision avoidance), or “Hey Artoo! Dance program”, and he’d start into this little dance to the Cantina Band tune.
Or you can buy your own at:
http://www.creaturelabs.com/toys_r2-d2.html
or
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000063KCP/102-7709746-9196913