HYBE achieved record high quarterly revenue in the second quarter of this year, continuing its solid growth trend. Analysts attribute this performance to the successful world tours of its artists and strong album sales.
In the second quarter of this year, consolidated revenue for HYBE was 705.6 billion won, a 10.2% increase compared to the previous record high of 640.5 billion won in the same period last year. Compared to the prior quarter, it surged by 41%, demonstrating sharp growth. Operating profit was 65.9 billion won, representing a 29% increase compared to the same period last year and a 205% increase from the previous quarter. The operating profit margin rose from 7.9% to 9.3%, an increase of 1.4 percentage points.
The direct participation revenue from artist activities, which is closely tied to artist performances, was recorded at 447.9 billion won. In particular, revenue from performances surged by 31% year-on-year to 188.7 billion won, driving growth. In the second quarter, approximately 1.8 million fans attended world tours and fan concerts of HYBE Music Group artists. The successful solo tours of BTS members Jin and J-Hope, SEVENTEEN's fan meeting in Japan, and world tours of TOMORROW X TOGETHER and LE SSERAFIM were well received. With various artists' tours planned for the second half of the year, the positive outlook for the performance sector is expected to continue.
Revenue from the album sector was 228.6 billion won, a slight decrease of 8.4% year-on-year, maintaining stable performance amid a decline in overall K-pop album sales.
In the album sector, BTS member Jin reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with his second mini-album "Echo," while SEVENTEEN topped the domestic album sales for the first half of the year with their regular fifth album "HAPPY BURSTDAY". ENHYPEN's mini album No. 6 "DESIRE: UNLEASH" achieved double million seller status and entered No. 3 on the Billboard 200. LE SSERAFIM's Japanese single No. 4 "DIFFERENT" reached No. 1 on the Oricon daily chart and No. 2 on the weekly chart. BOYNEXTDOOR broke their career high with their mini album No. 4 "No Genre," while ILLIT entered the Billboard 200 with their third mini-album "bomb," marking all their albums since debut on the global main charts.
The music performance in the global market was also notable. BTS members Jin and J-Hope each had their new songs, "Don't Say You Love Me" and "Killin' It Girl," recognized on the Billboard main chart "Hot 100." The global girl group CAT'S EYE managed to have songs "Gabriela" and "Gnarly" from their EP "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS" enter the Billboard Hot 100 just over a year after their debut. Both songs achieved favorable responses in the North American as well as the UK official charts, entering the upper ranks on the Spotify global chart, showcasing a balanced reception across the Latin and European markets. Artists under the Big Machine Label Group also proved their music power. Thomas Rhett earned the prestigious "RIAA Diamond" certification in the U.S. music industry, and Riley Green's "Worst Way" topped the U.S. country radio airplay chart.
Indirect participation revenue from MD and licensing, content, and fan club sales recorded 257.8 billion won. Of this, the MD and licensing sector rose by 40% year-on-year to reach 152.9 billion won, significantly driven by sales of tour MD and light sticks related to artist tours, as well as intellectual property (IP)-based character items. The fan club sector also achieved a record high of 34.6 billion won, a 46% increase compared to the same period last year.
Weverse showed steady growth with an average monthly active user count of 10.9 million. Notably, in June, when all BTS members returned, it recorded an all-time high of 12 million MAU. The entry of new artists like the Japanese national band Mrs. Green Apple and actor-singer Shingo Katori from the group SMAP also contributed to the increase in Weverse's MAU. Fueled by the active engagements of major artists, the total payment amount on Weverse in this quarter showed a 41% increase compared to the previous quarter.
[Photo] HYBE
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