A livestreamed comeback concert by K-pop supergroup BTS attracted 18.4 million viewers worldwide on Netflix, the streaming platform has confirmed.
The one-hour event, held on Saturday, marked the first time all seven members—Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—performed together since October 2022. The group had paused activities to fulfill their mandatory military service.
The free concert took place at Seoul’s historic Gwanghwamun Square and drew an on-site audience of around 104,000 people, according to entertainment company Hybe. This figure fell short of the 260,000 attendees initially anticipated by authorities.
In the lead-up to the comeback tour and the release of BTS’s new album Arirang, Hybe’s shares had seen a rise in recent months. However, they dropped by 15.5% on Monday following the event.
The concert also marked the beginning of the band’s sold-out, 82-date global tour and was livestreamed via Netflix to audiences in more than 190 countries, including South Korea.
This broadcast reflects Netflix’s growing push into live event programming. In 2024, the platform streamed the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which drew over 108 million viewers globally. Earlier this year, it also live-streamed American climber Alex Honnold’s ascent of a skyscraper in Taiwan, attracting approximately 6.2 million viewers.
According to Billboard, BTS, along with their record label BigHit and parent company Hybe, are expected to generate more than $1 billion (£740 million) from their reunion through concerts, merchandise, licensing, album sales, and streaming revenue.
BTS remains Hybe’s primary source of income, with the company’s operating profit declining during the group’s extended hiatus.
Only about 22,000 ticket holders were permitted inside the main concert venue, while other attendees watched the performance on multiple large screens set up along nearby streets.
Authorities implemented strict crowd control measures during the event, deploying around 7,000 police officers, including SWAT teams equipped with anti-drone systems.
Netflix reported that the livestream ranked number one in 24 countries.
