ComplexCon Generates $25 Million, Brings in 70,000 After First Full Year Under Ntwrk

The streetwear extravaganza ComplexCon, the marquee event hosted by the style and culture publisher Complex, returned to Las Vegas this month with its strongest showing yet. Attendance climbed to more than 70,000 from roughly 60,000 last year, and revenue rose to more than $25 million from $22 million, Complex chief executive officer Aaron Levant told ADWEEK. The event marked the first edition of the franchise produced following a full year of planning under Ntwrk, which acquired Complex for $108 million last February. The longer runway meant a robust and expansive ComplexCon: More than 360 exhibitors filled the show floor. “My way of judging an event is different, because you can look at numerical stuff but also the energy is very important,” Levant said. “This year felt right.” Over the weekend, more than 500 influencers, artists, streamers, and press moved through the venue, creating a multi-layered broadcast effect as streamers walked the floor livestreaming to huge audiences in real time. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 26: (L-R) Brendan Dunne, Senior Director, Customer Community and Engagement, StockX, Vashtie Kola, Joe La Puma, SVP, Content Strategy, Complex and Upscale Vandal speak onstage at Sneaker of the Year during ComplexCon 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 26, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Complex) The programming pillars—panels, performances, and the marketplace—each expanded from previous years. The Sneaker of the Year panel crowned Nigel Sylvester and incorporated an on-site giveaway stunt; the music slate mixed rising talent with established names; and the marketplace featured a cavalcade of exclusive drops. The rap battle series Verzuz, which had been dormant for more than a year as its contract with streaming platform Triller expired, also made its return at the event. The contest, which pitted Cash Money against No Limit, was livestreamed on Apple Music and drew more than 8.4 million viewers, according to Complex. The show marked the start of a broader partnership designed to integrate the battle series into Complex’s ecosystem of content, commerce, and live events. FOR Scoops, Sharp Analysis, and Insider Context By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . You may opt-out anytime by clicking 'unsubscribe' from the newsletter or from your account. Ticket prices remained largely unchanged. Base tiers, which drive the overwhelming majority of sales, stayed flat at around $140, and the Super VIP package was slightly cheaper than last year's after removing last year’s sneaker bonus, according to Levant. The event also managed to sustain a similar level of interest as last year's ComplexCon, which featured a performance from Travis Scott, one of the most prominent figures in the shared space between music and style. Sponsorship remains the largest revenue driver for ComplexCon. This year, category partners like Toyota, Call of Duty, Modelo, and Chase Freedom were each featured prominently. Exhibitor booths and ticket sales sit roughly tied behind sponsorship, followed by merchandise, according to Levant. The festival was profitable again this year, with a margin improvement over 2024, Levant said. The momentum reflects a broader transformation at Complex, which has leaned heavily into the events-video-commerce flywheel Levant envisioned after orchestrating the company’s merger with Ntwrk. “We are less and less a media company,” he said. “I would say Complex is the countercultural Disney in the making.” Commerce now represents more than half of Complex’s business, powered by the launch of Complex Shop last year, an on-site shopping hub built to personalize recommendations and keep purchases inside the Complex ecosystem. The company employs more than 150 commerce staff and is on pace to bring in over $100 million in retail sales this year, Levant confirmed. The shop features inventory from more than 100 brands and creators, along with the limited-edition releases fans identify with the brand. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 25: mgk at the Ed Hardy activation during ComplexCon 2025 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on October 25, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sara Jaye/Getty Images for Complex) Events remain a small but fast-growing part of the business, representing under 20% of revenue but serving as a critical driver of community and commerce. In addition to the U.S. festival, ComplexCon Hong Kong is now in its third year, with launches coming in the Middle East in 2026 and Europe in 2027, ADWEEK can exclusively report. The longer-term ambition remains to host one ComplexCon per habitable continent, per Levant. The publisher has also seen rapid growth from its food festival, Family Style, which it acquired last May. The franchise has expanded from one event in 2024 to six this year and is slated for between eight to 10 events in 2026, including a launch in China. Video is the company’s third growth engine. Complex has increasingly diverted its content budget into short-form and long-form video, expanding across TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and soon its own apps, where the company will begin livestreaming and launching live-shopping capabilities in December. The unifying idea is the same across festivals, commerce, and content: use entertainment to create the conditions for shopping. “If we’re creating video about sneakers, then people watching a podcast about those sneakers are probably interested in buying those sneakers,” Levant said. “The more we blur the line between engagement and conversion, that is what we lean into.”

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ComplexCon Generates $25 Million, Brings in 70,000 After First Full Year Under Ntwrk

The festival is the centerpiece of a commercial model built on events, commerce, and video.

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Mark Stenberg

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