Big Hit Entertainment

Big Hit Entertainment (Hangul: 빅히트엔터테인먼트), is a South Korean record label founded in 2005 by music producer and former composer Bang Si-hyuk.

Big Hit Entertainment was founded on February 1, 2005, and signed the vocal trio 8Eight, consisting of Lee Hyun, Baek Chan, and Joo Hee, in 2007.

In 2010, Big Hit Entertainment and JYP Entertainment signed a joint management contract over the boy group 2AM. That year, Bang Si-hyuk launched nationwide auditions and signed Rap Monster, the first member of BTS, followed by the other members of the group. BTS made their debut under Big Hit in 2013.

In 2012, the company signed Lim Jeong-hee, and the girl group GLAM was formed as a collaboration between Source Music and Big Hit entertainment. The group was active until 2014, when they disbanded due to controversy over one of the members, Kim Da-hee, who was sentenced to prison following accusations of blackmail in relation to actor Lee Byung-hun.

Following the end of the joint contract between Big Hit and JYP Entertainment in April 2014, three of the 2AM members returned to JYP, while Lee Chang-min stayed with Big Hit in order to continue with his solo career and as part of the duo Homme. The year also saw the disbandment of 8Eight after Baek Chan and Joo Hee's contracts with Big Hit ended.

In May 2015, Signal Entertainment Group (Signal), a KOSDAQ-listed company specializing in artist management and television production, acquired Big Hit through a KR₩6 billion (~ million) convertible bond. Signal also owns Better ENT, the agency founded by actor Song Seung-heon, as well as another record label, Jungle Entertainment.