CJ ENM said on the 6th that it posted revenue of 1.2456 trillion won and operating profit of 17.6 billion won in the third quarter. The entertainment business strengthened its profit structure by accelerating platform growth for Tving and Mnet Plus, expanding global production and distribution, and higher ratings for key drama titles. The commerce business maintained steady growth on the back of content IP competitiveness spanning mobile, TV, and OTT, and growth in mobile live commerce transaction value.
By institutional sector, the media platform unit strengthened channel competitiveness as "Bon Appétit, Your Majesty" and "Law and The City" posted high ratings, but revenue was 319.8 billion won and it recorded an operating loss of 3.3 billion won due to a slump in the ad market. Tving began to fully expand synergies with Wavve, introducing a double subscription pass, terrestrial live programming, and an ad-supported plan, pushing combined monthly active users (MAU) of Tving and Wavve to 10 million (excluding duplicate subscribers). The ad-supported plan launched on Mar. 3 continued to gain traction, lifting ad revenue 74.7% year to date in the third quarter from a year earlier.
The film and drama institutional sector began to generate revenue in new markets such as South America and the Middle East through lineup expansion and a strategy to strengthen overseas distribution, with revenue rising 48.2% on-year to 372.9 billion won and operating profit turning to a surplus of 6.8 billion won. Performance improved on increased supply of premium content such as Fifth Season's "The Savant" and "His & Hers," diversification of overseas sales partnerships, and theatrical revenue and export results for the film "No Other Choice."
In the music institutional sector, ZEROBASEONE's first full-length album surpassed 1.51 million in first-week sales, marking a sixth straight million seller, and revenue rose 8% on-year to 197.3 billion won as channel Mnet and Mnet Plus, based on the "Boys 2 Planet" IP, grew revenue. Operating profit was 1.9 billion won, as costs increased due to album releases by artists at Japan's Lapone Entertainment, fewer large-scale events, and expanded investment in Mnet Plus and new artists.
Revenue in the commerce institutional sector rose 6.5% on-year to 355.7 billion won, led by growth in mobile live commerce. Operating profit jumped 37.5% to 12.6 billion won, significantly improving profitability. In particular, by expanding external channels for shorts commerce based on differentiated content, third-quarter mobile live commerce transaction value increased 62.8% from a year earlier. The popularity of new large IP such as "Gieun-se's Silver Discovery," stronger influencer collaboration strategies, and an expanded product portfolio in beauty and health supplements contributed to broadening the customer base.
CJ ENM plans to accelerate profitability improvements in the fourth quarter based on the competitiveness of its content and platforms. The media platform institutional sector will focus on improving profits for channels and Tving by strengthening the schedule of well-made content. Tving will push to expand subscribers with a strong lineup of originals such as "EXchange / Transit Love 4" and "Dear X," while speeding up global expansion by entering the HBO Max brand hub in 17 Asia-Pacific countries and the Disney+ brand hub in Japan.
The film and drama institutional sector plans to continue solid overseas distribution revenue through simultaneous global OTT broadcasts of anchor IP such as "Typhoon Family," "Pro Bono," and "Nice to Not Meet You." It will also expand the supply of global-facing premium IP including CJ ENM Studios' "Romantics Anonymous" and "Three Idiots in Kenya," Studio Dragon's "Soulmate," and Fifth Season's "American Classic."
The music institutional sector will ramp up live concerts and preparations for a new artist lineup in 2026. It aims to restore profitability based on the "2025 MAMA Awards," to be held at a mega stadium in Hong Kong, and ZEROBASEONE's world tour results, and plans to further expand its artist pool through the debut team to be formed by the Korea-Japan joint project "Unpretty Rapstar: Hip-hop Princess" and the official activities of "ALPHA DRIVE ONE."
The commerce institutional sector will strengthen curation in the fashion, beauty, and living categories through large promotions such as "Come On Style" and "Fashion Week," and plans to enhance profitability by proactively responding to year-end peak season demand. By collaborating with trendy brands such as "Pop Mart," known for the Labubu character, it will drive the inflow of new mobile customers and increase time spent, and will accelerate the expansion of an IP portfolio linking mobile, TV, and OTT. It will also extend the same-day delivery service, in which orders arrive on the day they are placed, to mobile live commerce to provide a faster, more differentiated shopping experience.
A CJ ENM official said, "We will expand our global influence through partnerships with global media companies based on K-content leadership and production capabilities, and further strengthen profitability by advancing our platform business."