Animation content corporations ANIPLUS set a quarterly record in the third quarter this year. As "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc" rose to No. 1 among Japanese films released in Korea, it drove results.
ANIPLUS said on the 14th that it posted sales of 55.71 billion won and operating profit of 16.43 billion won in the third quarter this year. Those were up 44.26% and 171.66%, respectively, from a year earlier. This is the company's highest quarterly performance since it was listed on KOSDAQ in Feb. 2020.
"Demon Slayer," which swept theaters, fueled growth. An ANIPLUS official said, "As expected, the strong third-quarter results were led by Animax Broadband Broadcasting Korea (Animax), which holds the exclusive domestic distribution and licensing rights for 'Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc.'"
Released on Aug., "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc" drew more than 5.6 million moviegoers, setting new domestic box-office records, including No. 1 in sales among this year's releases in Korea and No. 1 all-time among Japanese films released in Korea.
Buoyed by the hit, Animax's third-quarter sales jumped 296% year over year to 28.45 billion won. Operating profit also surged 258% to 13.13 billion won.
The animation-focused over-the-top (OTT) corporations Laftel and the exhibition culture corporations Media N Art also maintained growth. Laftel posted sales of 10.08 billion won and operating profit of 1.08 billion won, remaining profitable despite increased investment in the Southeast Asian market.
Media N Art recorded sales of 4.45 billion won and operating profit of 1.73 billion won. That was driven by the long-running success of the "Wannabe Ronkhost" painting exhibition and "Yoshigo Photo Exhibition 2."
ANIPLUS expects the "Demon Slayer" effect to continue through year-end, leading to more than 30% growth from a year earlier.
Chun Seung-taek, CEO of ANIPLUS, said, "From the start of the year, efforts to maximize business synergy through companywide collaboration among affiliates engaged in the animation business led to strong results," adding, "As we are also delivering clear results in exhibitions, merchandise, and the drama institutional sector, we expect to achieve our management goals this year without difficulty."