SOURCE: 에스파·라이즈·태연 컴백..SM, 올해 1분기 매출 2791억원[공식]
SM Entertainment has announced its consolidated financial results for the first quarter of 2026, continuing its growth trend.
On the 6th, SM Entertainment revealed that they have recorded 279.1 billion KRW in revenue and 38.6 billion KRW in operating profit for the first quarter of 2026. These figures represent an increase of 20.6% and 18.5%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
Separate revenue for the first quarter reached 189.3 billion KRW, an increase of 14.4% year-on-year. Concert revenue increased by 56% and merchandise/licensing revenue by 20.3%, showing stable growth. Operating profit slightly decreased by 5.9% to 38.8 billion KRW due to the base effect of one-time music source revenue in the previous year. However, excluding this factor, it is effectively an increase. Net profit increased by 20.9% to 38.9 billion KRW.
These results were driven by increased album sales from key IPs, expanded concert scale leading to higher concert revenue, growth in the merchandise/licensing sector, the effect of DearU's consolidation, and improved performance from major subsidiaries. As a result, the share of concert and IP-based revenue has grown, and the company's revenue structure continues to diversify.
In particular, global tour by Super Junior, NCT Dream, Aespa, RIIZE, and NCT Wish contributed significantly to concert revenue growth. In the merchandise/licensing sector, sales of lightsticks and merchandise incrreased thanks to pop-up events tied to EXO's full-length album release, the NCT Wish project, and Aespa's tour.
The performance of major subsidiaries also improved. SM C&C saw growth in advertising and management revenue, while SM Japan benefited from expanded overseas activities of the artists. DearU has also been contributing stable profits since its consolidation. Operating profit for subsidiaries turned to a surplus compared to the same period last year.
Based on the 'SM NEXT 3.0' strategy, SM Entertainment continues to strengthen its IP competitiveness and expand globally, enchancing their long-term growth foundation through advanced content production and a broader IP portfolio.
Notably, rookie group Hearts2Hearts, which debuted last year, has been rapidly expanding their global presence. Their title track 'RUDE!' surpassed 100 million cumulative streams on Spotify Global within 28 days of release. They continue to succeed globally, with about 85% of streams coming from overseas. Furthermore, they also ranked No. 1 among K-Pop girl group songs released in 2026 on the Spotify Global TOP 200.
SM Entertainment plans to maintain growth in album, digital, and concert revenue in the second and third quarters with a strong artist lineup. In the second quarter, Taeyong, Aespa, and NCT Wish are scheduled to release full-length albums. SHINee, RIIZE, and Hearts2Hearts are scheduled to release mini-albums. Ryeowook is also scheduled to release a single. In the third quarter, Taeyeon and NCT 127 are scheduled to release full-length albums. Super Junior-83z, Red Velvet, and WayV are scheduled to release mini-albums. Meanwhile Yesung, Minho, and U-Know Yunho are planned to have new releases.
The concert sector will also remain active globally. In the second and third quarters, Aespa will begin a new global tour starting in Seoul and expanding to North and Central America and Europe. Additionally, EXO's tour concerts and first solo concert tours for U-Know Yunho and Irene are also scheduled.
