HYBE has reported its strongest quarter on record, posting third-quarter revenue of 1.53 trillion won and operating profit of 188.5 billion won, powered by BTS’s ongoing world tour. The company announced the preliminary results on November 3, according to Yonhap News TV and Yonhap News Agency reports carried on Naver.
The turnaround is striking. Revenue rose 109.8 percent from a year earlier, while operating profit swung from a 42.2 billion won loss in the same quarter last year to a profit of 188.5 billion won. Net profit also returned to the black at 11.3 billion won, the operating margin reached 12.4 percent, and profit beat the market consensus of 166 billion won by 13.6 percent.
HYBE said both revenue and operating profit marked the highest quarterly figures in its history. The previous records, revenue of 1.45 trillion won and operating profit of 170.9 billion won, were set only in the second quarter of this year, when BTS kicked off its “Arirang” world tour. Those marks have now been surpassed in just one quarter.
Concerts led the growth. Concert revenue reached 726.8 billion won in the third quarter, itself a quarterly record. BTS drew up to 70,000 fans per show across Europe and the United States, while ENHYPEN toured the Americas and LE SSERAFIM, &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, ILLIT, KATSEYE and CORTIS also staged tours during the quarter.
Merchandise and licensing provided the second pillar, recording 334.6 billion won, also a quarterly record. During BTS’s North American tour leg, about one million fans visited merchandise sales venues across 12 cities over 45 days, buying about two million items. Album and digital music revenue added 282.8 billion won, supported by new and catalog releases.
HYBE attributed the result to combining direct revenue from artist activity, such as albums and tours, with high-margin merchandise and licensing income. Cumulatively, revenue through the third quarter reached 3.674 trillion won, putting HYBE close to becoming the first South Korean music agency to pass 4 trillion won in annual revenue.
BTS will continue touring through the first half of next year while also working on music and other projects, according to HYBE. Whether that touring momentum can carry the record run into the fourth quarter is now the question to watch.
