HYBE Posts Record Q1 Sales of 698.3 Billion Won... BTS Comeback Drives Growth

Operating Loss Recorded Due to Share Donation Expenses

View of HYBE headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

HYBE achieved its highest-ever first-quarter performance, driven by the full group comeback of BTS, which set new records.

On April 29, HYBE announced that it recorded sales of 698.3 billion won and an operating loss of 196.6 billion won in the first quarter of this year. Sales increased by 40% compared to last year (500.6 billion won).

Direct participation revenue, including albums and concerts, reached 403.7 billion won, growing by 25% year-on-year. In particular, the album segment posted sales of 271.5 billion won, up 99%. BTS’s fifth full-length album, "Arirang," released last month, sold 3.98 million copies on its first day alone. The title track "Swim" reached No. 1 on Billboard’s main song chart, the Hot 100.

BTS. Provided by Big Hit Music

Indirect participation revenue, such as merchandise and fan clubs, rose 66% year-on-year to 294.7 billion won. The monthly active users (MAU) of the fandom platform Weverse increased by 20% from the previous quarter to a record high of 13.37 million.

The operating loss was due to a one-off accounting expense. The largest shareholder donated shares worth 255 billion won as performance bonuses for executives and employees, which was reflected as an expense. Excluding this, adjusted operating profit stood at 58.5 billion won, surpassing the market consensus of 42.9 billion won.

HYBE expects growth to continue from the second quarter, as the performances of major artists such as Tomorrow X Together, Le Sserafim, and ILLIT, as well as BTS’s world tour results, will be reflected in earnings.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.