Music Biz

SM Entertainment Banking Serious Money on Live Shows and Merch

K-pop's biggest machine just proved the touring and merchandise hustle is the real money play.

SM Entertainment pulled in $233 million last quarter — a 15.4% jump year-over-year. That's the kind of growth that makes investors smile and keeps the lights on at the label.

Here's what's working: concerts and merchandise. Not streaming royalties, not TikTok checks. The physical, in-person experience and the hoodies and hats fans actually want to buy. That should tell you something about where the real revenue is hiding in K-pop right now.

SM's been running one of the tightest ships in the industry for years, so this isn't shocking. But it's a reminder that for all the talk about digital everything, the artists making the most money are still the ones who can pack arenas and sell out merch tables. The label just proved that formula works at scale.


Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide → https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/sm-entertainment-revenues-rose-15-4-yoy-to-233m-in-q2-driven-by-concerts-and-merch/

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