SM Entertainment was a big factor.
Beautify.id
HYBE is no longer South Korea’s highest-earning entertainment company after SM Entertainment helped Kakao surpass the company in 2025 revenue.
The combined revenue of Kakao’s seven entertainment agencies reached ₩1 KRW (about $0.00 USD), accounting for 27% of the total revenue among the top 30 entertainment companies surveyed.
SM Entertainment recorded ₩813 billion KRW (about $559 million USD) in revenue, marking a 22.6% increase compared to the previous year.
HYBE ranked second with ₩1 KRW (about $0.00 USD) in revenue. The company’s results were supported by the performances of labels including BigHit Music and PLEDIS Entertainment.
Meanwhile, JYP Entertainment placed third with ₩684 billion KRW (about $470 million USD) in revenue.
YG Entertainment ranked fourth with ₩339 billion KRW (about $233 million USD), seeing a 71.3% increase thanks to expanded concert activities.
Together, the four major entertainment groups recorded ₩3 KRW (about $0.00 USD)in revenue, making up 71% of the total revenue generated by the top 30 companies.
