b.stage Records 5x Growth in Paid Users in One Year Expanding Fandom Business Beyond K-POP into Sports and Brands
by BEMYFRIENDS05.19.25
- Influx of G-DRAGON and T1 fans accelerates platform growth with surge in visitors and paid users
- Non-entertainment IPs in sports and brands show increased potential for fandom-based commerce
SEOUL, Korea - Monday, May 19, 2025 - Global fandom platform 'b.stage' is rapidly strengthening its position in the fandom platform market with a fivefold increase in paid membership users in Q1 2025 compared to the previous year. While K-POP has been the biggest contributor to this growth, the platform is now actively expanding into diverse fields including sports, brands, and culture, accelerating the expansion of non-entertainment fandom business markets.
In Q1 2025, b.stage's total visitor count more than tripled compared to Q1 2024. During the same period, the number of paid membership users increased more than fivefold, users viewing paid content grew fourfold, and purchases of "POP" (real-time two-way communication feature) passes surged eightfold. Currently, more than 250 global clients and over 800 artists are engaging with fans through b.stage. This rapid growth demonstrates not only b.stage's establishment as a platform for core K-POP fandoms but also its continued evolution to enable platform operations across various genres with existing fandoms.
Currently, b.stage is leading the fandom platform market primarily through K-POP artists with massive global followings, including G-DRAGON, INFINITE, KISS OF LIFE, and DOH KYUNGSOO. About 30% of b.stage's client base consists of non-K-POP sectors such as sports, brands, musicals, and lifestyle. Notably, global commerce activities like memberships and merchandise sales have been particularly active in areas such as e-sports (with teams like T1 and Gen.G) and webtoons, clearly demonstrating the expansion potential of fandom commerce in non-K-POP markets and the definitive influence of fandoms.
The platform has also seen diverse applications of its features that enhance the convenience of fandom activities. Most notably, b.stage's "on-site pickup" feature has facilitated pre-purchases of concert merchandise for on-site collection, and has expanded to include pop-up store admission tickets and offline event ticket sales. This feature has been implemented at various events, including G-DRAGON's membership day admission tickets for The Hyundai pop-up store, merchandise sales for Aimyon's Korea tour, and the musical "Werther." This demonstrates how b.stage's features can connect online and offline fan experiences and confirms the substantial growth potential of fandom business.
Based on this growth trajectory, b.stage is accelerating the expansion of fandom business into various industry sectors. While currently collaborating with K-POP groups and solo artists across music & entertainment, brands, and actors, the platform is continuously expanding its partnerships in non-entertainment fields, including musicals, e-sports, sports, lifestyle brands, and influencer academies.
A b.stage representative stated, "Fandom platforms are rapidly expanding beyond K-POP to various IP-based businesses, and we're seeing a surge in demand from operators in diverse fields such as sports and lifestyle. b.stage provides various features and services to meet these demands and will continue to actively support businesses in all areas with fandoms, helping them design their own fan experiences and commerce models."
Moving forward, b.stage plans to support customized platform building and fan experience design across all content areas with fandoms, not limited to K-POP and entertainment. The company aims to continuously enhance the potential of fandom business and maintain its current growth momentum.
In Q1 2025, b.stage's total visitor count more than tripled compared to Q1 2024. During the same period, the number of paid membership users increased more than fivefold, users viewing paid content grew fourfold, and purchases of "POP" (real-time two-way communication feature) passes surged eightfold. Currently, more than 250 global clients and over 800 artists are engaging with fans through b.stage. This rapid growth demonstrates not only b.stage's establishment as a platform for core K-POP fandoms but also its continued evolution to enable platform operations across various genres with existing fandoms.
Currently, b.stage is leading the fandom platform market primarily through K-POP artists with massive global followings, including G-DRAGON, INFINITE, KISS OF LIFE, and DOH KYUNGSOO. About 30% of b.stage's client base consists of non-K-POP sectors such as sports, brands, musicals, and lifestyle. Notably, global commerce activities like memberships and merchandise sales have been particularly active in areas such as e-sports (with teams like T1 and Gen.G) and webtoons, clearly demonstrating the expansion potential of fandom commerce in non-K-POP markets and the definitive influence of fandoms.
The platform has also seen diverse applications of its features that enhance the convenience of fandom activities. Most notably, b.stage's "on-site pickup" feature has facilitated pre-purchases of concert merchandise for on-site collection, and has expanded to include pop-up store admission tickets and offline event ticket sales. This feature has been implemented at various events, including G-DRAGON's membership day admission tickets for The Hyundai pop-up store, merchandise sales for Aimyon's Korea tour, and the musical "Werther." This demonstrates how b.stage's features can connect online and offline fan experiences and confirms the substantial growth potential of fandom business.
Based on this growth trajectory, b.stage is accelerating the expansion of fandom business into various industry sectors. While currently collaborating with K-POP groups and solo artists across music & entertainment, brands, and actors, the platform is continuously expanding its partnerships in non-entertainment fields, including musicals, e-sports, sports, lifestyle brands, and influencer academies.
A b.stage representative stated, "Fandom platforms are rapidly expanding beyond K-POP to various IP-based businesses, and we're seeing a surge in demand from operators in diverse fields such as sports and lifestyle. b.stage provides various features and services to meet these demands and will continue to actively support businesses in all areas with fandoms, helping them design their own fan experiences and commerce models."
Moving forward, b.stage plans to support customized platform building and fan experience design across all content areas with fandoms, not limited to K-POP and entertainment. The company aims to continuously enhance the potential of fandom business and maintain its current growth momentum.