HYBE reported its highest-ever second-quarter revenue Wednesday, fueled by a surge in global touring, strong album sales, and growing digital engagement across its artist roster.
The South Korean entertainment powerhouse posted KRW 705.6 billion (approx. $541 million) in revenue for the quarter, marking a 10.2% year-over-year increase and a 41% jump from Q1. Operating profit climbed to KRW 65.9 billion, representing a 29% increase year-over-year and more than triple the previous quarter’s figure.
Much of HYBE’s momentum came from its direct artist-driven business, which generated KRW 447.9 billion in revenue. Despite a broader slowdown in physical album sales, recorded music sales reached KRW 228.6 billion, thanks to major releases and global chart success.
BTS member Jin landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with his solo EP Echo, while SEVENTEEN’s HAPPY BURSTDAY led album sales in Korea for the first half of 2025. ENHYPEN’s DESIRE : UNLEASH debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and surpassed two million copies in first-week sales. LE SSERAFIM topped Japan’s Oricon daily chart with their single “DIFFERENT,” and BOYNEXTDOOR broke personal records with first-week sales of No Genre. ILLIT continued their Billboard 200 streak with their third mini album bomb.
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Digital performance remained strong, particularly in the U.S., with Jin’s “Don’t Say You Love Me” and j-hope’s “Killin’ It Girl” both landing on the Billboard Hot 100.
Concert revenue rose to KRW 188.7 billion, up 31% year-over-year, as HYBE artists embarked on a slate of global tours and fan events. BTS members j-hope and Jin launched solo world tours, while SEVENTEEN’s HOSHI and WOOZI drew fans to their fan concert [WARNING]. TOMORROW X TOGETHER and LE SSERAFIM also completed major international dates. ENHYPEN performed at Coachella and is preparing for a 10-city U.S. and European tour, including a stop at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. BOYNEXTDOOR concluded their debut solo tour and played Lollapalooza Chicago for the first time.
Revenue from merchandise, content, licensing, and fan club subscriptions—areas considered “indirect artist involvement”—reached KRW 257.8 billion. Merchandise and licensing alone climbed 40% YoY to KRW 152.9 billion, driven by strong tour merchandise sales. Fan club revenue also hit a record KRW 34.6 billion, up 46% YoY.
HYBE’s global operations contributed significantly to the quarter’s performance. HYBE AMERICA notched key milestones with girl group KATSEYE, who saw their EP BEAUTIFUL CHAOS charting on Billboard and the UK Official Charts while selling out a 13-city North American tour. The group’s singles “Gnarly” and “Gabriela” also sustained runs on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Country music acts under Big Machine Label Group (BMLG), part of HYBE AMERICA, also saw continued success. Thomas Rhett received RIAA Diamond certification for “Die A Happy Man,” and Riley Green earned a No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with “Worst Way.”
HYBE AMERICA recently restructured to focus more intensively on its label business. The change aims to boost synergy between HYBE’s North and Latin American operations, now under the leadership of HYBE Americas Chairman & CEO Isaac Lee.
HYBE Latin America is also accelerating its growth, blending K-pop methodology with Latin music formats. Highlights include the launch of new audition show Pase a la Fama and the upcoming debut of Latin boy band Santos Bravos. The division has also signed top regional acts such as Latin pop band Morat and global artist DY.
The company’s global superfan platform Weverse posted solid growth in Q2, averaging 10.9 million monthly active users. Following the return of all BTS members in June, the platform hit a new high of 12 million MAUs and saw a 41% quarter-over-quarter revenue boost.
HYBE’s strong second-quarter performance underscores its continued expansion across markets and platforms as it deepens its global presence in music and fan engagement.
