Baby Shark: How a 90-second clip created a $400m business

When Kim Min-seok approved the release of a short children’s video in June 2016, he had no idea it would reshape his company’s future. That 90-second clip – the now-iconic Baby Shark – went on to become the most-watched YouTube video in history, amassing more than 16 billion views and evolving into a global cultural phenomenon.

Nearly a decade later, the song’s extraordinary impact has helped transform its creator, Pinkfong, into a fast-growing media powerhouse. On Tuesday, the South Korean company made its debut on the country’s stock exchange, where its shares gained more than 9% and pushed its valuation above $400 million.

Kim, speaking from Pinkfong’s Seoul headquarters, recalled the company’s humble beginnings in 2010 when it operated as SmartStudy – a small digital content startup with just three employees. “We didn’t expect it to stand out from our other content,” he said. At the time, the team worked in an office so small that salaries were not guaranteed.

A strategic shift toward content for toddlers proved pivotal. Pinkfong expanded to roughly 100 employees and began focusing on simple, educational games and videos. That period of reinvention produced Baby Shark, which would later explode in popularity across Southeast Asia as its dance routine went viral at children’s events.

By November 2020, Baby Shark had become the most-viewed YouTube video ever. It generated around half of the company’s revenue in the years following its release, leading to new merchandise, global licensing deals and a rapid expansion of Pinkfong’s catalogue. Today, the company – renamed The Pinkfong Company in 2022 – has about 340 employees and offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

Pinkfong’s success has not been without challenges. In 2019, the firm was accused of copying the work of an American composer, but South Korea’s Supreme Court dismissed the claim, ruling Pinkfong’s version was based on a public-domain folk song.

As the company grows, questions remain about whether it can replicate the commercial impact of Baby Shark. While it still accounts for roughly a quarter of Pinkfong’s revenue, newer franchises such as Bebefinn and Sealook are gaining momentum, with Bebefinn now representing about 40% of earnings.

The company raised nearly $52 million in its stock market debut and plans to expand its slate of characters, films and tech-driven content. Kim insists Pinkfong is ready for its next chapter: “Baby Shark set the stage for our global journey,” he said. “Now we have to show we can go even further.”