NEW’s Largest Shareholder to Buy 1 Billion Won in Shares on Market; Company to Boost Synergies with New Films and Affiliates

[Financial News] The largest shareholder of content company Next Entertainment World (NEW) will buy company shares worth a total of 1 billion won on the open market. NEW plans to improve its results by increasing the profitability of film investment and distribution and strengthening links among its production, distribution and platform businesses.
In a shareholder letter released on the 10th, NEW announced the largest shareholder’s plan to buy shares. The company said the purchase reflects confidence in its medium- to long-term growth and a commitment to responsible management.
In its core film investment and distribution business, NEW presented its major lineup for 2027–2028. The company previously ranked No. 1 among domestic film distributors with the 2025 film My Daughter Is a Zombie.
Next year, the company will unveil a series of films, starting with Undercover High School, set for release in the first quarter, then continuing with new films from three star directors: Um Tae-hwa’s A Good House To Live In, Kang Hyeong-cheol’s If I’m With You, and JANG Jae-hyun’s Vampir. It will also handle domestic distribution of a new animated film by Makoto Shinkai, who has a strong following among Korean audiences, diversifying its slate.
In production, NEW will expand its content supply to domestic broadcasters and global over-the-top (OTT) services, focusing on SBS’s Good Partner 2 and Disney+’s I Am a Sinner. Its distribution business will broaden opportunities to generate additional revenue from existing intellectual property (IP) through overseas remakes and rights sales.
Miracle in Cell No. 7 was previously remade in Indonesia, Türkiye and the Philippines, where the remakes were box-office hits. NEW secured additional revenue through a deal for a Philippine remake of the sequel produced in Indonesia. The Last Wish, the Vietnamese version of The Great Wish, which affiliate CONTENTS PANDA co-produced and invested in, also topped the local box office last year.

Platform affiliate NEW ID is expanding into live sports broadcasts and TV operating systems (OS), building on its free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels. NEW said NEW ID’s results continue to improve and that it is preparing for a KOSDAQ listing in 2027.
NEW said it would focus on building a sustainable earnings base rather than short-term expansion, while improving the competitiveness of each business and strengthening links among them to expand opportunities to generate revenue from its content. It also emphasized that this would reduce earnings volatility tied to the box-office performance of its films and allow it to pursue sustained profit growth on a stable earnings base.
 
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter