Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company behind BTS, recorded its highest quarterly revenue and operating profit as concerts supplied nearly half of its third-quarter sales, according to preliminary results released Nov. 3.
Consolidated revenue for July through September reached 1.53 trillion won, up 109.8% from a year earlier. The previous quarterly high was 1.45 trillion won in the second quarter, when BTS began its “Arirang” world tour.
Hybe reported 188.5 billion won in operating profit after a 42.2 billion won loss in the comparable period of 2025. The latest figure exceeded its second-quarter record of 170.9 billion won. It was also 13.6% above the 166 billion won market consensus compiled by Yonhap Infomax.
Concerts brought in 726.8 billion won, or about 47.6% of total revenue. Hybe said the BTS tour helped lift that figure, alongside tours by other artists, including Enhypen and Le Sserafim. The company reported audiences of up to 70,000 at individual BTS shows in Europe and the United States.
Live performances generated more revenue than merchandise and licensing, which brought in 334.6 billion won, and albums and streaming, which generated 282.8 billion won. Even combined, those two categories produced less revenue than concerts.
Net profit was 11.3 billion won, returning to the black.
Revenue for the first nine months of 2026 totaled 3.674 trillion won. Yonhap reported that no K-pop agency has surpassed 4 trillion won in annual revenue; Hybe's nine-month total puts it 326 billion won below that mark. Hybe credited its “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy, developed over several years, for its results.
Hybe said BTS will continue touring through the first half of 2027. The company also plans to work on new music and other projects while the tour continues.
