BTS Comeback Lifts HYBE to Record Q2 Revenue of 1.45 Trillion Won

HYBE crossed the 1 trillion won mark in quarterly revenue for the first time, riding a wave of album releases and world tours from BTS and its wider roster. The label posted its biggest quarter ever on the back of concerts, physical album sales, and merchandise.

HYBE announced on July 28 that it recorded 1.45 trillion won in revenue and 170.9 billion won in operating profit for the second quarter of 2026. Both figures are the highest ever for a single quarter. It is the first time HYBE's quarterly revenue has passed 1 trillion won, and the first time quarterly operating profit has passed 100 billion won. First-half revenue also crossed 2 trillion won for the first time.

By segment, concert revenue came in at 647.7 billion won, and music revenue reached 326.8 billion won. Merchandise and licensing pulled in 310.6 billion won, another quarterly record. Revenue more than doubled from a year earlier, and the operating margin hit 11.8 percent.

HYBE pointed to BTS's world tour, which launched in April, as the main driver of the quarter. Global music data firm Luminate reported that the BTS album "ARIRANG" ranked No. 1 in both vinyl and CD album sales in the United States.

The label said the sales performance of "ARIRANG" contributed to growth in the U.S. physical album market and in South Korea's music exports overall. South Korea now ranks third in the world for music exports, behind the U.S. and the U.K. HYBE said BTS has generated tourism and local spending across tour cities, creating what it called "BTS-nomics." The group also performed at the World Cup final on the 20th, headlining the first halftime show in the tournament's history.

Other HYBE artists added to the momentum. According to the company, every group under its roster released a new album in the first half of the year. Five of the top 10 CD album sellers in the U.S. during that stretch came from HYBE Music Group artists. On South Korea's Circle Chart, seven acts hit million-seller status in the first half: BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, TWS, and CORTIS.

KATSEYE and CORTIS also lifted results. KATSEYE won three trophies at the 2026 American Music Awards and has since released a new single. CORTIS passed 5.25 million in combined sales for its first mini-album, "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," and second mini-album, "GREENGREEN." HYBE said steady demand for "merch-bundle" album versions should keep sales rolling through the end of the year.

The digital single "ICONIC BY MISTAKE," a collaboration between LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, and KATSEYE, also landed on the Billboard and Spotify charts. HYBE said the three fandoms crossed over during the release, widening each group's reach in the market.

The touring business kept expanding as well. Twelve acts across HYBE Music Group played a combined 119 shows in the first half of the year, with more than 200 shows scheduled for the second half. Last year, 10 acts staged 279 shows in total, and HYBE expects the 2026 total to top that mark. The company said the touring boom should also lift tour merchandise sales and revenue from "The City" project, which ties city-wide brand activations to each tour stop.

ENHYPEN began a world tour in May and played its first shows in South America, selling out stadium dates. LE SSERAFIM is promoting its second full-length album alongside a world tour across Japan, North America, Europe, and major cities in Asia. BOYNEXTDOOR launched its first world tour in July, its first since debut. KATSEYE's world tour, which kicks off in September, has already added dates after selling out. CORTIS is also touring within its first year as a group.

The heavier artist schedule drove traffic to the fan platform Weverse. Monthly active users hit 14.43 million, another record after a strong first quarter. Total spending rose 12 percent from the previous quarter, and average revenue per paying user climbed 24 percent. HYBE said artist activity pushed up visits, time spent on the platform, membership subscriptions, and paid content purchases.

Jay-sang Lee, chief executive of HYBE, said the quarter shows the company is "redefining the global entertainment market and functioning as core export infrastructure for South Korea's cultural industry." He added that HYBE will keep pursuing its expansion and growth strategy.