The film grossed almost $23 million at the American box office, making it the most successful animated production outside the Disney market at the time of its release, and Nelvana's highest-grossing film for another eight years.
One of the first films to be based directly on a toy line.
Four months after the film's release, Disney released The Black Cauldron (1985) which was their 25th animated film and the most expensive at the time, costing $44 million. By contrast, Care Bears cost $2 million but made $23 million at the box office while The Black Cauldron only made $21.3 million. This alarmed many Disney animators and raised questions about the future of the department. Months afterwards, a reissue of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) would out gross both films, making $30 million.
It was offered to several major American film studios for release but got rejected because none of them saw the financial potential in a film that was purely made for children. It was eventually picked up by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, an independent studio.
'Meets the Berrykins (1985)' is a theatrical featurette, played before the Care Bears when first released in theatres. It was later, also included on VHS of The Care Bears Movie.