FNC ENTERTAINMENT (FNC) announced on May 15 that it recorded a positive operating profit for the first quarter of this year, continuing a profit trend for the fourth consecutive quarter since the second quarter of 2025.
In the first quarter of 2026, consolidated revenue reached 27.2 billion won and operating profit 800 million won, marking a 140% increase in revenue compared to the same period last year and a return to profit for operating income.
Unlike previous years, the results of this first quarter were marked by notable growth in the music business sector, as the activity schedules of major artists were concentrated in the first quarter and global tours intensified.
For P1HARMONY, the album release schedule, which had been accounted for in the second quarter of last year, was moved forward to the first quarter of this year, positively influencing the improvement in results. Added to this is the continued effect of the global tour started last year, while the European tour as well as the encore concerts in Seoul and Japan in the first quarter of this year boosted overall revenue growth in the concert and record sectors.
CNBLUE also contributed to the growth of concert and record activities in Korea and abroad by advancing its album release date and global tour schedule to the first quarter. Furthermore, CHUEI LI YU, who debuted last December, supported the growth of results through fan meetings and the sale of merchandise (MD).
FNC Entertainment explained that while the growth of the music business continues thanks to the expansion of activities of main artists, the contribution to results related to the growth of new artists is also expected to amplify gradually. AMPERS&ONE continues its revenue growth through increased album sales and the expansion of concert activities, while AxMxP is also expected to see its profitability improve with the gradual mitigation of cost burdens through investment optimization and revenue increases.
In particular, CHUEI LI YU debuted on May 13 as part of the new boy group FLARE U alongside KANG WOO JIN, with whom he had formed ties via the Mnet audition program “BOYS 2 PLANET”, and released the 1st mini-album “YOUTH ERROR”. Although it is a rookie group, it recorded over 96,000 copies sold on the first day of release and rose to 1st place on the Hanteo Chart daily ranking, a record sales counting chart, raising hopes for a high performance for the first week of sales. The group is expected to pursue rapid growth based on future expansion of albums and concert activities.
Kim Yu Sik, representative of FNC Entertainment, stated:
“Thanks to the expansion of global tours and album sales of our main artists, the results of the music business sector have progressed considerably, allowing us to simultaneously achieve external growth and an improvement in profits and losses. We plan to pursue stable growth based on the expansion of activities of our main artists and the growth of the global fandom.”
He added: “As new artists also display a gradual growth flow with the expansion of record and concert activities, we expect their contribution to future results to continue to widen.”
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: FNC Entertainment
