"Global Fandom Platform b.stage Sees Fivefold Increase in Paid Users in Q1 Year-on-Year"

Over 800 Artists Active on the Platform
Encompassing Everything from K-pop to Non-Entertainment Fields

The number of paid users on the global fandom platform "b.stage" surged fivefold year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. The platform is expanding its business areas beyond K-pop to include sports, brands, culture, and other diverse fields.

According to BeMyFriends on May 19, the total number of visitors to b.stage in the first quarter of this year more than tripled compared to the first quarter of 2024. During the same period, the number of paid membership customers increased by more than five times, the number of paid content viewers by more than four times, and purchases of the real-time interactive communication feature "POP" by more than eight times. Currently, more than 250 global clients and over 800 artists are communicating through b.stage.

At present, b.stage is leading the fandom platform market with a focus on K-pop, catering to global large-scale fandoms such as G-Dragon, Infinite, and Do Kyungsoo. In addition, approximately 30% of the platform's user base comes from non-K-pop sectors such as sports, brands, musicals, and lifestyle. In particular, the platform is demonstrating the potential for expanding fandom commerce by activating membership services and merchandise sales based on fandoms in areas such as e-sports and webtoons.

Furthermore, the use cases for b.stage features that enhance the convenience of fandom activities are also expanding in various ways. Notably, the "on-site pickup" feature of b.stage has enabled fans to pre-purchase concert merchandise online and pick them up at the venue, and the platform is extending its use to include the sale of popup store admission tickets and offline event tickets. In practice, this has been applied to various events such as G-Dragon’s The Hyundai popup store membership day admission tickets, "I?" overseas concert merchandise sales, and the musical "Werther."

Building on this growth, b.stage is accelerating the expansion of its fandom business into various industries. Currently, the platform is collaborating with intellectual properties in a wide range of fields, including music & entertainment, brands, and actors, with a focus on K-pop groups and solo artists. In non-entertainment sectors, it is expanding its partnerships to include musicals, e-sports, sports, lifestyle brands, and influencer academies.

A representative from BeMyFriends, the operator of b.stage, stated, "We will continue to actively support businesses in all fields with fandoms, serving as a partner that enables them to design their own fan experiences and commerce models."