Main points
- Hybe shares fell 15.5% after a BTS concert that drew fewer viewers than expected.
- Analysts predict that BTS' world tour could bring significant revenue to the company, boosting annual profits by 65.3%.
BTS / Photo by Getty Images
Shares in Hybe, the company behind South Korean boy band BTS, fell sharply after fewer fans than expected attended their free concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21.
This was reported by the BBC. BTS members – PM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – performed together for the first time since 2022, when they took a break due to mandatory military service.
About 104,000 fans attended the BTS concert, while an estimated 260,000 were expected to attend the show. Hybe shares have been rising in recent months ahead of the group's tour and the release of their new album Arirang, but fell 15.5% on Monday.
The BTS concert was streamed live on Netflix in over 190 countries, including South Korea. This, along with strict censorship, may have affected viewership.
Music label Big Hit Music, managed by Hybe, announced that the album Arirang sold 3.98 million copies on its first day of sales (the band released it on March 20).
BTS is Hybe's main source of revenue. The company's operating profit has plummeted during the group's long hiatus.
However, the Korea Times reports that stock market analysts have an optimistic outlook for the stock, driven by the South Korean group's upcoming world tour.
BTS' world tour, which kicks off in April, is expected to draw approximately 4.6 million attendees based on the dates announced so far, and could exceed 5 million if additional shows are added.
– said Jang Min-ji, an analyst at Kyobo Securities.
He said BTS' financial contribution will reach approximately 1.6 trillion won. Analysts predict that HYBE's annual revenue will reach 4.38 trillion won, up 65.3% from the previous year, and operating profit will increase by 978.2% to 538.1 billion won.
Briefly about the band BTS
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BTS was founded by BigHit Entertainment in 2013. The group released their debut album on June 12 of the same year. It was called 2 Cool 4 Skool.
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The artists went on their first concert tour – The Red Bullet Tour.
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When the group announced their hiatus in 2022, they were at the peak of their popularity. Jin was the first to complete his mandatory military service (June 2024), and Suga was the last (June 2025).