• World’s First Web 3.0 Based Content Distribution, Pre-sales Begins on April 2nd
• Resolving Issues of Traditional Content Market; Broadening Horizons into STO Business

SEOUL, South Korea, April 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — FSN (214270), a KOSDAQ-listed company, has officially announced that its subsidiary, Fingerlabs, will officially launch the fandom-based content distribution platform ‘Xclusive’ on the 2nd and exclusively premiere ‘Begins Youth,’ a derivative drama based on BTS’ ‘Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa,’ utilizing a content distribution method that leverages Web 3.0 technology for the first time globally. 

‘Begins Youth’, co-produced by Chorokbaem Media and HYBE, is a derivative drama that reconfigures the ‘Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa’ story previously explored through BTS’ albums, music videos, and other official content since 2015. This derivative drama, inspired by BTS ‘Hwa Yang Yeon Hwa’, combines fiction with the group’s established story. Directed by Jae-hong Kim, renowned for the JTBC series ‘Blooded Palace – The War of Flowers,’ and scripted by Soo-jin Kim, known for ‘The Light in Your Eyes,’ the drama features Ji-hoon Seo, Jong-hyun Noh, Ji-ho An, Young-joo Seo, Yun-woo Kim, Woo-jin Jung, and Jin-seo Jeon. The premiere trailer for ‘Begins Youth’ was unveiled in Paris, France, in May of the previous year, attracting considerable attention.

The upcoming drama, consisting of 12 episodes divided into three parts with four episodes each, will initiate a one-month pre-sale for all episodes starting from the first week of April. Following the pre-sale period, the official sales will kick off in the first week of May, with the episodes for each part being released for sale at weekly intervals.

‘Begins Youth’ is garnering widespread interest as it pioneers using Web 3.0 technology for content distribution. This innovative approach is exclusively facilitated through Xclusive, developed on the Mantle Network — an Ethereum Layer 2 network associated with the global cryptocurrency exchange ‘Bybit’. With the ambition of redefining content ownership and distribution paradigms, Xclusive is designed to operate with a keen focus on enhancing the rights and benefits of creators and consumers. The platform aims to address prevalent challenges in revenue sharing and copyright management encountered by existing OTT services and content platforms, thereby promising to introduce a groundbreaking shift in the content distribution sector.

Following the debut of ‘Begins Youth’, Xclusive is deepening its commitment to Web 3.0 content distribution by seeking intellectual properties (IPs) for future content creation and dissemination. Earlier this year, Xclusive forged a strategic alliance with OGN, an e-sports content studio, to pioneer diverse content and IP-related ventures, leveraging the unique capabilities of Xclusive. Moreover, the platform is in ongoing talks with premier South Korean corporations to expand its IP content collaborations. Looking ahead, Xclusive aims to transcend traditional content production and distribution models by introducing mechanisms for direct user engagement in content financing through Security Token Offerings (STOs).

Sangseok Lee, CEO of Fingerlabs, remarked, “With Xclusive’s introduction of a unique distribution system that sets it apart from existing content platforms, our goal is to foster a mutually beneficial culture for creators and users alike. Beginning with ‘Begins Youth,’ we are set to produce and distribute unprecedented content leveraging the country’s potent intellectual properties.”