HYBE expected to grow content and platform businesses
來源：開云體育app官方網站發布日期：2023-01-26 18:05:12 瀏覽：678
 |
| HYBE Founder and Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, left, and Dunamu CEO Park Ji-won talk about their strategic partnership during an online briefing on Nov. 4, 2021. Yonhap |
By Kim Jae-heun
HYBE, the home entertainment agency for global K-pop stars Bangtan Boys (BTS), is expected to show the fastest growing profit among entertainment companies this year, thanks to its fully ready content and platform businesses.
HYBE has been expanding production of its online content utilizing intellectual property (IP). It will open three series of original stories starring its K-pop bands, BTS, ENHYPEN and TXT, from Jan. 15 to Jan. 17. The content will be updated every week in 10 different languages.
After the launch of the webtoon series in the first quarter of this year, the entertainment agency will introduce non-fungible token (NFT) products in the second quarter.
Last November, HYBE formed a strategic partnership with Dunamu, the operator of the country's largest cryptocurrency exchange, Upbit, to expand its NFT business. The talent agency plans to introduce various content, such as digital photo cards, based on its artists' IP. In other words, BTS fans will be able to purchase the band's NFTs and trade them via Dumanu's blockchain infrastructure.
The blockchain platform developed by Lambda 256, a subsidiary of Dunamu, will be used to issue the BTS NFTs. Lambda 256 also launched the "Luniverse NFT" platform, based on its blockchain platform, Luniverse, last June.
"HYBE has already secured ways to utilize Luniverse and NFTs that prioritize fans purchasing them first," researcher Lee Hwa-jung at NH Investment & Securities said.
A game created in collaboration with BTS will also be introduced during the first half of this year. The band's members participated in the project by throwing out ideas about their characters in the virtual world.
HYBE has been striving to diversify its businesses so as to lower its dependence on BTS. The musicians will have to serve their mandatory military service one day and the entertainment firm will not be able to wait until all the members finish their duty.
Lately, HYBE's attempt to enter the content and platform businesses has been generating concern among parties interested in the company. HYBE's stock price peaked at 421,500 won on Nov. 30, 2021, but has dropped nearly 30 percent now.
However, Lee says that the stock's current value reflects the worries of HYBE's shareholders, but that they should bet on the potential of the company to succeed.
Meanwhile, HYBE's net profit reached 118 billion won last year. The Korea Investment & Securities expects the figure to grow to 281 billion won this year and to 395 billion won in 2023.
"HYBE's stock price-earnings ratio (PER) of 42.6 will improve 30.3 times next year," researcher Park Ha-kyung at Korea Investment & Securities said. PER refers to the current market price of a company share divided by the company's earnings per share.
分享：