The Background of the Fan Club Boom: Entertainment Strategies in the Era of Experiential Marketing

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. What is the "Fan Club Establishment Rush" Happening in Japan?

3. The Rise of Experiential Marketing: The Expansion of the "Oshi-katsu" Economy

4. Evolution and Cost Reduction of Platforms

5. Specific Examples (Japan)

6. Comparison with Overseas Trends

7. Organizing Commonalities and Differences

8. Revenue Models and Economic Impact

9. Future Prospects and Challenges

10. Conclusion
    
    

1. Introduction

In the mid-2020s, the global entertainment revenue structure clearly shifted from "mass streaming" to "super fan monetization." This trend is also prominent in Japan, where official fan clubs are being re-evaluated as the core infrastructure of "experiential marketing."

2. What is the "Fan Club Establishment Rush" Happening in Japan?

Expert commentary from Yahoo! News positions the increase in the number of establishments from the end of 2024 to 2025 as the "Second Fan Club Year." There are three main reasons for this: ① The COVID-19 pandemic made box office revenue unstable, necessitating a stable source of income. ② The explosion of "oshi-katsu" among Generation Z expanded the need to "directly contribute to their favorites." ③ The rise of SaaS platforms that enable low-cost payment and membership management lowered the barriers to entry.x.com

3. The Rise of Experiential Marketing: The Expansion of the "Oshi-katsu" Economy

According to a report by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the domestic "Otaku market" was 810.1 billion yen in fiscal 2023. Especially in idols, VTubers, and 2.5D stages, the event monetization ratio through fan clubs is high. New services linked to "experiences" are emerging one after another, such as member-exclusive online lotteries, backstage streaming, and bus tour matchmaking.meti.go.jp

4. Evolution and Cost Reduction of Platforms

• Domestic: Fanicon and Bitfan can be established from around 500 yen per month, providing ticket lotteries, goods e-commerce, and community in a one-stop service.
  
  

• Overseas: Weverse enhanced HD video uploads in June 2025 and sells Global Memberships for around 30 dollars annually.weverse.io
  The essence is the "platformization" that integrates "payment × CRM × digital experience," allowing talents to access fans worldwide while keeping initial costs low.
  
  
  
  

5. Specific Cases (Japan)

These have evolved into relationship businesses with "exclusive immersive experiences for members" as their core value, surpassing mere information dissemination.

6. Comparison with Overseas Trends

• Korea: The "Membership Kit" through Weverse is standard. BTS ARMY has both a basic course for 22 USD annually and a Merch Pack course for 150 USD, centered around delivered goods and live streams.usbtsarmy.com
  
  

• Europe and America: With the new Spotify×UMG contract, they plan to offer early releases to the "Superfan" paid tier.theverge.com
  
  

• Common Points are "digital-first," "global simultaneous operation," and "hybrid experiences of physical and digital."Differences are ① frequency of charges (annual in Japan, monthly/tiers overseas), ② offline interactions (strong handshake/high-five culture in Japan), ③ payment methods (credit card vs. convenience store/carrier billing).

7. Organizing Commonalities and Differences

8. Revenue Model and Economic Impact

MIDiA reports that "Expanded Rights" revenue has reached 10% of global music sales (3.5 billion dollars). With the shift to the "fan economy," it is urgent for labels and talent agencies to design to maximize **LTV (Customer Lifetime Value)**.musicman.co.jp


The number of fan club members in Japan exceeds 15 million for major companies alone, and assuming an average of 4,000 yen per membership, the gross revenue is approximately 600 billion yen. In addition, ticket EC fees, merchandise, and PPV live streaming are added.

9. Future Prospects and Challenges

1. AR / Metaverse Integration: Will overseas events like Travis Scott in Fortnite become standardized in Japan?

2. AI Translation / Simultaneous Subtitles: Realizing a "borderless fan club" through multilingual expansion.

3. Secondary Distribution Collaboration: Official resale with "dynamic pricing" and NFT certification of "proof of support" is key.

4. Compliance: Utilization of data, youth billing, and organizing the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations are essential.

10. Conclusion

Fan clubs are transforming from "merchandise + ticket sales channels" toa continuous and data-driven "experience marketing" platform. While Japan holds an advantage in the richness of offline experiences, overseas markets lead in the agility of digital strategies. Whether a next-generation model that integrates both can be constructed will influence competitiveness in the global market.

Reference Articles

• Yahoo! News Expert "The Background of the Fan Club Launch Rush - Entertainment Strategy in the Era of Experiential Marketing"

• METI Report "The Business Model for the New Era of the Music Industry (2024)"

• Weverse "Announcement of New Digital Membership Features" (2025-06-04)

• The Verge “New Spotify and UMG deal could create pricier ‘superfan’ subscription” (2025-01-27)

• The Times “Superfans offer rich pickings for music industry” (2024-05-08) 

• note "What are the Conditions for a Promoted Company? - Corporate Fan Acquisition Strategy, Part 2" (2025-05-19) 

• Musicman "Global 'Extended Rights' Revenue Expands, Reaching 10% of Music Sales - Fan Economy" (2024-04-26)