Avex Entertainment Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President, CEO: Katsumi Kuroiwa) has reached a basic agreement with Hypebeast Ltd. (Headquarters: New Territories, Hong Kong; Founder and CEO: Kevin Ma; hereinafter "Hypebeast") for a strategic partnership to accelerate the growth and success of both companies.
Establishing the strategic theme "Entertainment x Technology x Global," the Avex Group promotes activities to respond to changes in the external environment surrounding the entertainment industry, with the goal of leveraging strong intellectual property creation to succeed in the new era. The Avex Group utilizes technology to maximize the value of its intellectual properties and offer new experiences and value, and also fosters the development of intellectual property with global appeal, not only in Japan but throughout Asia. This strategic partnership with Hypebeast is a driver to accelerate this global strategy.
Hypebeast is a listed media company, which operates globally, focused on 18 major cities in the world with active viewers in over 100 countries. The company runs HYPEBEAST, which introduces the latest fashion, art, design, and culture to its over 20 million social media followers, with 70 million monthly page views, and 13.2 million monthly unique visitors (MUVs). It also operates an e-commerce business, an event business, and a creative business. This strategic partnership enables the two companies to share resources, expertise, networks, and intellectual properties that they possess in the field of entertainment. The companies will develop new business opportunities like those included below.
[Planned businesses]
■Media business
Hypebeast will implement global marketing activities using intellectual properties owned by the Avex Group, to advertise these intellectual properties to the world.
■Music business
Along with promoting globalization of Avex's music label business, the two companies will jointly foster new artists and acquire new overseas artists, with the goal of developing a worldwide music label business.
■E-commerce business
Through the HBX global e-commerce platform run by Hypebeast, the two companies will distribute goods developed in Japan to the world. In addition, using the Avex Group's domestic e-commerce platform, the companies will provide apparel from global brands sold on HBX more conveniently to Japanese users. Furthermore, the companies are planning to develop apparel jointly, including, for example, collaborations with worldwide brands and intellectual properties, such as animated programs, owned by the Avex Group and made by artists contracted to the Avex Group.
■ Event development business
Utilizing Avex Entertainment's live production capabilities, the companies will produce large-scale cross-cultural fashion and music events organized by Hypebeast. In Japan, the companies will expand fans of the latest youth culture.
■ Agent business
Using Hypebeast's network of domestic and overseas companies, Avex Entertainment will conduct sales activities with the goal of reaching more domestic customers in new business development.
Through this strategic partnership, Avex Entertainment will aim to expand business opportunities in Japan and expand its intellectual properties, both those owned by Avex Entertainment and those that will be developed jointly by the two companies in future, overseas in earnest.
[Statements from the two companies]
■ Hypebeast Ltd. / Kevin Ma
I love Japanese culture and fashion, and have always believed in its vast business potential, and this partnership will be a big push with respect to our presence in its local market. I am looking forward to the transformation ahead and to taking our business to the next level alongside Avex.
■ Avex Entertainment Inc. / Takeya Ino, Director, Label Division Executive
It is our immense pleasure to partner with Hypebeast Ltd., a global media company. With Hypebeast's cooperation, we believe that we will be able to further deliver attractive content and culture from Japan to the global market. Going forward, we aim to work with Hypebeast in various business endeavors.
[About Hypebeast Ltd.]
Hypebeast Ltd. started from a sneaker website founded by Kevin Ma in 2005 to a publicly listed media company in 2016.From the Media "HYPEBEAST" and its various content platforms, global E-commerce platform "HBX", various publishing brands such as agency "HYPEMAKER," the media group is expanding rapidly in recent years. With a total reach of over 40.5M users across all platforms, the media group boasts a global readership across Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and more, with the flagship platform available in five languages. With Forbes calling "HYPEBEAST" as the most influential global media in street wear and street culture and Quarts declaring companies know "HYPEBEAST" is the most influential medial the brand to place ads, HYPEBEAST is also widely valued by the other global media companies.
HYPEBEAST https://hypebeast.com/jp
HBX https://hbx.com/
《Media-related inquiries》
Public Relations Unit, Public Relations Office, Avex Inc.