SAMG Entertainment Posts KRW 6.29B Q1 Operating Profit, Continues Profit Streak with Strong Licensing and Product Sales

– Q1 consolidated revenue reached KRW 35.7 billion (USD 26.25 million), up approximately 41% YoY
– Operating profit of KRW 6.29 billion (USD 4.62 million) and net profit of KRW 5.67 billion (USD 4.17 million) maintain a positive earnings trend
– Licensing revenue surged approx. 103%, product sales rose around 35% YoY
– Inventory assets fell approx. 52% YoY due to internalized distribution and efficient cost structure
– IP expansion gains momentum through global brand collaborations and broader target age range

SEOUL — SAMG Entertainment (CEO Suhoon Kim, hereafter SAMG) announced its first-quarter financial results, reporting continued quarterly profitability fueled by sharp growth in both licensing and product sales.

According to the quarterly report filed on May 14, SAMG posted consolidated revenue of KRW 35.7 billion (USD 26.25 million), operating profit of KRW 6.29 billion (USD 4.62 million), and net profit of KRW 5.67 billion (USD 4.17 million) for Q1 2025. Notably, revenue increased by approximately 41% year-over-year, following the company’s return to profit in Q4 2024. This marks two consecutive profitable quarters and solidifies its improved earnings trajectory.

SAMG’s Q1 licensing revenue surged by approximately 103% YoY to KRW 7.6 billion (USD 5.59 million). Demand for IP-based licensing collaborations expanded across all major sectors—including cosmetics, F&B, and fashion—with brand partners such as Lotte Wellfood, Clio, CU, and SPAO. In particular, the success of the animated feature Heartsping: Teenieping of Love, released last August, played a key role in expanding the audience base from children to all age groups, helping to drive licensing growth.

Meanwhile, product sales reached KRW 26.8 billion (USD 19.71 million), up approximately 35% year-over-year. The company’s One Source Multi Use (OSMU) strategy continued to show tangible results, with strong sales of flagship toys like the “Auroraping Castle House,” expanded pop-up store presence, and diversified GWP (Gift With Purchase) contract models that strengthened the organic connection between content IP and merchandise. Cost structure improvements since Q4 2024 also played a significant role in sustaining profits. Inventory assets were reduced by approximately 52% year-over-year to KRW 9.6 billion (USD 7.06 million). SAMG attributed this to efficient inventory management enabled by its successful offloading of slow-moving stock and the internalization of its distribution network, which allows for the strategic use of big data.

Global momentum remained strong. Overseas revenue for Q1 2025 totaled approximately KRW 11.3 billion (USD 8.31 million). In China, both Season 4 of Catch! Teenieping and Season 2 of Metal Cardbot enjoyed commercial success, leading to growth in both product and licensing revenue. In Japan, the company launched MD (merchandising) sales for Catch! Teenieping Season 2 across roughly 1,200 stores in major cities in October last year. The IP is steadily gaining traction, with positive feedback from local fans at pop-up events and other key activations. SAMG also accelerated brand expansion through collaborations with global partners such as Hyundai Motor Company, the Kia Tigers baseball team, SM Entertainment, and Devsisters (makers of Cookie Run).

The Catch! Teenieping x Kia Tigers collaboration created a notable buzz, with eager fans forming lines that wrapped around the stadium one and a half times to purchase “00-ping” jerseys. Authentic adult uniforms sold out rapidly. Additionally, Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang, which featured Heartsping in the IONIQ 5, attracted over 45,000 visitors during the first week of May alone, according to the company.

“Our flagship IPs—Catch! Teenieping, Metal Cardbot, and others—have all seen consistent gains in brand value, backed by a data-driven distribution and platform system,” said SAMG CEO Suhoon Kim. “We see 2025 as the first true year of global expansion and elevated audience targeting. SAMG’s ultimate goal is to become a global IP holder whose content is loved around the world.”