Not Jungkook or V, this BTS star alone powered HYBE's 85% North American revenue boost in Q1 2025
J-Hope aka Jung Hoseok, the rapper of the seven member boy band, recently wrapped up his first world tour HOPE ON THE STAGE. According to Meritz Securities, his concerts played a huge role in helping HYBE record a massive 85.7% revenue jump in North America in the first quarter of 2025. According to a July 28 report, HYBE earned 133.25 billion KRW (about $102 million) during this period, one of the company's biggest quarterly spikes in recent years.
Also read: 'Kim Taehyung makes me feel I can't afford…': BLACKPINK's choreographer reveals how working with BTS' V changed her
J-Hope returned from the military on October 17, 2024, and since then has been actively belting out new songs and albums to boost his individual discography. The tour started in April 2025, with J-Hope performing across Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Oakland, and Mexico City, among other venues. He reportedly pulled in over 178,000 fans across 12 sold-out shows. His musical setlist includes a mix of his old and new songs, alongside some of BTS' hits. The 31-year-old had released his solo album back in 2022 titled Jack in the Box, with lead tracks like 'Arson' and 'More'. In the meantime, he also collaborated with J. Cole for 'On the Street'. After returning from the military, he released 'Mona Lisa,' which was previewed during his tour, and more recently 'Sweet Dreams (feat. Miguel),' with both songs part of his Hope on the Street Vol.1 album. Reports said ticket sales were strong in every city, proving that BTS fandom remains loyal no matter who is performing. Last year, SUGA (aka Min Yoongi) also pulled record-breaking numbers, and J-Hope just kept the momentum going.
Also read: Police raids BTS' agency: What happens to group's comeback if HYBE boss Bang Si Hyuk lands in prison?
Aside from ticket sales, merchandise sale also skyrocketed during this time. Analysts said around 22% of concertgoers bought merch, spending about $60 per person on average. The final concert took place on June 14 at Goyang Stadium in South Korea. The night marked the 12th anniversary of BTS and all seven members showed up to support J-Hope. During the performance, Jin and Jungkook even joined him onstage to perform 'Jamais Vu'.
According to Luminate data, K-pop fever isn't dying down anytime soon, if anything, it's just getting hotter. K-pop groups like Stray Kids, ENHYPEN, ATEEZ, SEVENTEEN, and LE SSERAFIM all landed in the Top 10 U.S. CD Albums list for the first half of the year. Stray Kids' album HOP alone sold 149,000 copies in the U.S. SEVENTEEN, on the other hand, managed to outsell big names like Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar, and more. As for BTS, the group is set to make their much-awaited comeback next spring.
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