[Exclusive] F&F Establishes F&F Entertainment... Business Expansion

M&A and Content Company Investment Followed by Business Expansion
Recruitment of Record Producer CEO Choi Jae-woo
Attention on Synergy with Existing Businesses

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] F&F, a fashion company famous for MLB, is entering the entertainment business. The company is steadily expanding its business portfolio centered on its core operations. Attention is focused on what kind of synergy effects will be created through the entertainment company in the future.

According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 24th, F&F established F&F Entertainment. The initial capital is 2 billion KRW. It is based on the 4th floor of the F&F building in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The inaugural head is CEO Choi Jae-woo. Kim Chang-soo, chairman of F&F, was named as an inside director. The other non-executive director is No Woo-ram, CEO of F&F Partners.

CEO Choi, the inaugural head, is a figure who has been active throughout the music industry, from record production to songwriting. He also served as project leader of the Kakao Entertainment production investment team and vice president of Flex M. He was in charge of numerous artist projects, including singer Lee Seung-chul’s 35th debut anniversary project. He also worked as a lyricist under the name ‘Good Choice,’ participating in songs and OSTs.

By recruiting CEO Choi, who has expertise in the entertainment industry, F&F is signaling a new start. After investing in various content companies, it is expected to strengthen its content-related business by directly operating an entertainment company.

The business purposes include ▲ management of celebrities and other public figures ▲ production, distribution, and sales of movies, videos, and broadcasting programs ▲ planning, production, distribution, and retail of music albums ▲ creative and artistic performance planning and event agency services ▲ planning, production, investment, and sales of domestic and international performances and events ▲ use and sales of celebrity portrait rights and characters ▲ planning, development, and sales of content, services, and platforms related to artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).

The F&F brand is broadly divided into fashion (MLB), beauty (Banilaco), retail (Collected), and F&B (Jardin Perdu). It operates various businesses centered on fashion, expanding its presence. With the addition of the entertainment business, the group’s scale is growing even larger.

F&F has focused on new businesses so far. It established an investment-specialized company called F&F Holdings as a holding company and opened the door to new business expansion. Then, through the new technology finance company F&F Partners, it has made various investments, mainly including content companies in its portfolio.

An IB industry official said, “F&F has consistently shown interest in the entertainment business,” adding, “Since it has shifted direction to establish its own company rather than acquiring an existing entertainment company, attention is focused on its future moves.”