FNC Entertainment announced on the 15th that it recorded an operating profit in the first quarter of this year, maintaining a positive trend for four consecutive quarters since the second quarter of 2025. For the first quarter of 2026, consolidated revenue reached 27.2 billion won and operating profit was 800 million won, marking a 140% increase in revenue compared to the same period last year and a successful turnaround to profit.
Unlike previous years, this quarter’s performance saw significant growth in the music business as major artists’ schedules were concentrated in Q1 and global tours expanded. P1Harmony’s album release, which took place in Q2 last year, was moved up to Q1 this year, positively impacting results. Along with the ongoing effects of their world tour, their European tour and encore concerts in Seoul and Japan drove overall growth in the performance and album sectors. CNBLUE also contributed to growth in domestic and international performances and album sales by moving their release and world tour schedules to Q1. Additionally, Choi Rip-woo, who debuted last December, helped boost performance through fan meetings and merchandise (MD) sales.
FNC explained that while the music business continues to grow due to the expanded activities of major artists, the contribution of rookie artists to overall performance is also expected to increase gradually. AMPERS&ONE is seeing continued revenue growth thanks to increased album sales and more performances, while AxMxP is expected to continue improving profitability as cost burdens ease through investment efficiency and revenue expansion.
Notably, Choi Rip-woo debuted in the rookie boy group FLARE U alongside Kang Woo-jin, whom he met through the Mnet audition program ‘Boys 2 Planet,’ releasing their first mini-album ‘YOUTH ERROR’ on the 13th. Despite being a rookie group, they recorded over 96,000 copies sold on the first day and hit number one on the Hanteo Daily Chart, raising expectations for high first-week sales. They are projected to maintain rapid growth based on future album releases and performance activities.
FNC CEO Kim Yoo-sik stated, “Thanks to the expansion of global tours and album sales for our major artists, the music business sector has grown significantly, achieving both scale growth and profit improvement simultaneously.” He added, “We plan to maintain a stable growth trend based on the expanded activities of our major artists and the growth of the global fandom.”
He further noted, “Since our rookie artists are also showing a gradual growth trend with expanded album and performance activities, we expect their contribution to performance to continue expanding in the future.”
