BTS was named the most loved person (team) in the global entertainment·content market in 2025. SEVENTEEN and ENHYPEN also ranked near the top, placing three artists from HYBE Music Group labels in the institutional sector 'top 10'.
Parrot Analytics released the '2025 annual report (What Audiences Loved in 2025),' which found that BTS ranked first in the 'Talents of the Year Under 30' institutional sector. In the same category, ENHYPEN placed second and SEVENTEEN placed eighth.
The ranking is based on data that quantifies a single global metric (Average Demand) for how much, how often and how actively people respond to specific content and people. As of the end of 2025, it ranks individuals aged 30 and under or those with 30 years or less of active career. It is widely trusted and used in the industry as one of the materials for measuring IP value.
The report said of BTS that "even with limited group activities in 2025, they generated repeated spikes in demand and served as a focal point of the year." It explained that BTS achieved an overwhelming lead in terms of buzz and interest through 'BTS FESTA' and members' solo activities. This suggests that BTS's mere existence has become an event and a form of cultural infrastructure.
ENHYPEN was cited as an example of a clear rise in demand spurred by major global stages. Last year they participated in the 'Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival' and through their world tour 'WALK THE LINE' performed a total of 29 shows in 18 cities worldwide. ENHYPEN drew roughly 646,000 people (a total of 676,000 including the Seoul encore performance) on this tour, proving expanded global demand.
SEVENTEEN reached No. 2 on the 'Billboard 200' with their fifth full-length album 'HAPPY BURSTDAY' and held 38 performances in major cities worldwide, attracting more than 1.26 million attendees combined online and offline. For their 10th anniversary 'B-DAY PARTY,' about 352,000 people visited the solo stage, pop-up stores and special exhibitions held around Seoul's Jamsu Bridge and Banpo Hangang Park, demonstrating high popularity.
The report diagnosed that in 2025 the global market was reorganized by a consumption structure centered on the digital culture and fandom of younger generations aged 32 and under. It noted that K-pop artists are driving these changes. It analyzed that K-pop shows higher demand concentration compared with other fields through music streaming, rapid social media communication and tours, thereby expanding its influence in the global market.
HYBE has been successfully implementing a 'multi-home, multi-genre' strategy by securing bases in major music markets worldwide and cultivating global artists tailored to local markets. This has created a virtuous cycle of generating global super IPs and expanding market influence, contributing to the sustainable growth of K-pop.
[photo] BigHit Music, Belift Lab Inc., Pledis
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