[Click eStock] "FNC Entertainment, CNBLUE Return... Evolution of Fandom-Type Entertainment"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Kiwoom Securities analyzed on the 5th that FNC Entertainment will gain synergy through the debut of rookie SF9, the full-scale domestic and international activities of CNBLUE, and the activities of actor Jung Hae-in.

Artists under FNC Entertainment include singers (CNBLUE, FT Island, SF9, N.Flying, AOA, Cherry Bullet), actor (Jung Hae-in), and entertainers (Yoo Jae-suk, Moon Se-yoon). In addition, they are capable of producing content such as variety shows and dramas through their own production.

Researcher Lee Nam-soo stated, "Through the newly established content lab Nanaland, they have secured a multimedia content production value chain including YouTube-oriented variety shows and content production of affiliated artists," adding, "Accordingly, the rookie idol group scheduled to debut in the second half of the year is expected to produce in-house content featuring affiliated artists, increasing exposure and gaining publicity in a short period, which is judged to bring about rapid growth in the future."

He also expected that Jung Hae-in, who won the Best New Actor award at the Daejong Film Awards, will expand his domain from dramas to films, bringing about an increase in advertisements and appearance fees, and will create synergy with the activities of rookie actors on screen and television.

The rapid growth of rookie SF9 and the return of main CNBLUE are also noteworthy.

SF9’s first full-length domestic album released in January sold 120,000 copies, surpassing the total album sales of 106,000 in 2019. Researcher Lee analyzed, "Since their debut in 2016, they have released 15 albums in Korea and Japan, gaining recognition for their musicality, and the appearances of Rowoon (Extraordinary You) and Chani (SKY Castle) in popular dramas have triggered fandom consolidation."

Furthermore, CNBLUE’s domestic and international activities, which attracted more than 200,000 concert attendees annually before enlistment, are expected to be fully resumed after discharge, and the return of FT Island in early 2021 is also anticipated, indicating a transformation into an entertainment structure with a solid fandom base.

Researcher Lee said, "In addition to CNBLUE and FT Island, who have already secured fandoms in China and Japan, even rookie groups including Japanese members are expected to accelerate overseas expansion step-by-step through Japan’s FNC ENT. JAPAN and the Chinese joint venture HONGYI, forecasting mid- to long-term performance improvement."