According to Korean media, HYBE Group achieved the highest Q1 business results ever, right in the period considered the off-season of the entertainment industry.
The company announced consolidated revenue in Q1/2026 reached 694.3 billion won (about 520 million USD), an increase of 40% compared to the previous Q1 record of 500.6 billion won of the same period last year. This achievement reflects the strong return of BTS along with the rapid growth of new artists.
Revenue from direct activities (including album sales, concerts and advertising) increased by 25% compared to the same period, reaching 403.7 billion won (about 301 million USD).
Album revenue alone skyrocketed by 99% compared to the same period last year, reaching 271.5 billion won (about 202 million USD). This level is equivalent to Q4/2023, when major products such as SEVENTEEN's album "Seventeenth Heaven" and Jungkook's "Golden" helped album revenue reach 276.2 billion won.
The center of this growth momentum is BTS's 5th studio album "Arirang". The album sold 3.98 million copies on its first day alone. According to Luminate, the LP version reached sales of 208,000 copies in a week - the highest level for a group since the tracking system began in 1991.
The album "Arirang" also made history on the Billboard 200 chart when it became the first album of a Korean artist to hold the number 1 position for 3 consecutive weeks. The title track "Swim" topped the Billboard Hot 100, and all 13 songs in the album entered the chart.
Group ENHYPEN achieved the title of "album selling 2 million copies" for the 4th time with the mini album "The sin: Vanish".
HYBE's rookie artists also showed strong performance. KATSEYE surpassed 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the highest among global girl groups. This achievement helps expand new fans and increase sales of their music products.
KATSEYE's two EPs "Soft is strong" (August 2024) and "Beautiful chaos" (June 2025) have sold a total of more than 1 million copies.
Male group CORTIS also maintained strong growth momentum. The album "Color Outside the Lines" set the highest weekly sales record for a Kpop debut album, reaching approximately 440,000 copies in the first week and exceeding 1 million copies in November 2025, then reaching over 2 million copies as of February 2026.
Revenue from indirect activities (goods, licensing, content and fan club services) of HYBE artists increased by 66% over the same period, reaching 294.7 billion won (about 219 million USD).
This growth momentum is driven by products related to BTS's global tour such as official lightsticks and character goods, as well as strong demand for fan club ticket pre-orders associated with the tour.
The global super fan platform Weverse also recorded the highest results since its launch. The average monthly active user base in Q1/2026 reached 13.37 million, an increase of 20% compared to the previous quarter and setting a new record.
In Q2, HYBE expects revenue and profit to continue to grow. Many artists such as TXT, LE SSERAFIM, TWS, ILLIT and CORTIS will return with new products. In addition, contributions from BTS's ongoing tour are also expected to continue to promote growth.
