Netflix has revealed its March 21 livestream of BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul attracted 18.4 million global viewers.
The official number is far lower than the 300 million figure reported by UK outlets, including The Times and The Telegraph, earlier this week. Neither outlet cited a source for the claim, although it may have been derived from Netflix’s subscriber count, which stood at 325 million at the end of 2025.
The concert saw all seven members of the superstar group — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — perform together for the first time since 2022 after completing mandatory military service.
The 12-song setlist included tracks from BTS’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG, which dropped on March 20.
According to Netflix, which says that its total viewership estimates are derived from first-party data (Live+1), the live broadcast reached its weekly Top 10 in 80 countries and secured the #1 spot in 24 of them.
It added that, to date, the campaign has reached 2.62 billion global social impressions across Netflix channels, while numerous hashtags related to BTS and Netflix “trended worldwide.”
Netflix says the figures prove the group’s influence “has only intensified during their time apart.”
The streamer has escalated its investment in premium music-related content in recent months, launching Harry Styles’ One Night in Manchester on the service on March 8.
Last November, the platform released ONE SHOT with Ed Sheeran, a one-take music special that followed the singer-songwriter through the streets of New York City performing his biggest hits.
Separately, the company confirmed an “exclusive multi-year first-look deal” with Warner Music Group (WMG) last Friday (March 20). Under the creative partnership, the companies say the streamer will develop “documentary series and films exploring the lives, music and legacies of WMG’s legendary and contemporary artists and songwriters.”
Meanwhile, shares in HYBE, the company behind BTS, fell to an over three-month low on Monday (March 23) amid a broad sell-off in Korean equities and after the band’s heavily promoted live comeback drew a smaller crowd than authorities had initially expected.
As reported by The Korea Times, at the end of the trading day on Monday in Seoul, shares had fallen 15% to KRW 290,500, the lowest level since early December. At press time, they had rebounded to KRW 304,500.
The free outdoor concert had a ticketed capacity of around 22,000, with overflow crowds watching on large screens in the surrounding area, according to the BBC.
HYBE said the event attracted 104,000 fans in total – far lower than the 260,000 that police had initially projected.
However, The Chosun reports that the relevant authorities presented wildly differing attendance numbers: Seoul City (48,000), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (62,000), and the police (80,000).
The publication explains that the discrepancy stems from differences in counting methods. Seoul City’s 48,000 figure was derived from real-time urban data sourced solely from domestic telecom networks, excluding foreign attendees on roaming or overseas SIMs.
The city also restricted its estimate to Gwanghwamun Square itself, while police included nearby areas where fans gathered to watch the live broadcast, and the interior ministry used aggregated base-station data that included people inside buildings.
HYBE told the AFP that the 104,000 figure accounted for mobile connections across all three major Korean carriers, as well as foreign visitors and budget phone users — essentially measuring cumulative foot traffic rather than a single snapshot.
BTS dropped their first studio album in six years last Friday (March 20), breaking records across major streaming platforms.
Arirang pulled in over 110 million streams on Spotify in its first 24 hours, breaking the record for the most-streamed K-pop album in Spotify history and the most-streamed album in a single day this year, according to the platform.
Big Hit Music said Arirang also sold 3.98 million copies on its first day of release, citing local album sales tracker Hanteo Chart. The figure surpasses BTS’s previous first-week record of 3.37 million copies set by Map of the Soul: 7 in February 2020 — in a single day rather than a full week.
Netflix premieres companion documentary BTS: THE RETURN, which chronicles the creation of the album and the group’s reunion, this Friday. The film is directed by Bao Nguyen (The Stringer, The Greatest Night in Pop) and produced by This Machine (Martha, Karol G) and HYBE.
“The film offers an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the members as they regrouped in the studio to record ARIRANG and prepared for last weekend’s monumental stage,” says Netflix.
News of the Netflix deal followed BTS’s announcement of a world tour beginning April 9 in Goyang, South Korea. The tour, promoted by Live Nation, will span 34 cities with 82 shows across North America, Europe, and Asia. It marks the first large-scale tour for BTS in about four years since BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE.Music Business Worldwide
On March 21, 2023, Netflix live-streamed the highly anticipated concert « BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG » from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, which attracted 18.4 million global viewers. This official figure differed significantly from earlier reports by UK media outlets, which claimed the concert had garnered 300 million viewers. However, these reports lacked credible sourcing and may have been based on Netflix’s subscriber base, which was approximately 325 million at the end of 2022.
The concert marked the return of all seven BTS members—RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook—performing together for the first time since 2022 after completing their mandatory military service. The setlist comprised 12 songs from their fifth studio album, « ARIRANG, » which had been released a day earlier on March 20.
Netflix reported that the broadcast achieved significant success, ranking in the weekly Top 10 in 80 countries and reaching the number one spot in 24 of them. The event generated 2.62 billion global social media impressions across Netflix’s channels, with numerous hashtags related to BTS and Netflix trending worldwide. The streaming platform emphasized that these figures underscore BTS’s enduring influence, suggesting it has grown during their hiatus.
In recent months, Netflix has increased its investment in premium music content, evidenced by the release of Harry Styles’ « One Night in Manchester » on March 8 and Ed Sheeran’s « ONE SHOT » in November 2022. Additionally, on March 20, Netflix announced an exclusive multi-year first-look deal with Warner Music Group. This partnership aims to create documentary series and films that explore the lives and legacies of WMG’s artists and songwriters.
Despite the concert’s success, shares in HYBE, the company behind BTS, fell to a three-month low on March 23, amid broader declines in Korean equities. The concert drew a total of 104,000 fans, which was significantly lower than the 260,000 attendees originally projected by authorities. Reports indicated discrepancies in attendance numbers, with different organizations citing figures ranging from 48,000 to 80,000. The variances stemmed from differing methodologies in counting attendees, including factors such as real-time urban data and mobile connections.
BTS’s new album « ARIRANG » has shattered records since its release, achieving over 110 million streams on Spotify within the first 24 hours, marking it as the most-streamed K-pop album in Spotify history and the most-streamed album in a single day in 2023. Additionally, the album sold 3.98 million copies on its first day, surpassing their previous record of 3.37 million copies in a single week set by « Map of the Soul: 7 » in February 2020.
Accompanying the concert, Netflix is set to release a documentary titled « BTS: THE RETURN, » which chronicles the album’s creation and the group’s reunion. Directed by Bao Nguyen and produced by This Machine and HYBE, the film promises an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at BTS as they prepared for the concert.
BTS also announced a world tour starting April 9 in Goyang, South Korea, marking their first large-scale tour in four years since « BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE. » The tour will cover 34 cities and include 82 shows across North America, Europe, and Asia, further solidifying their return to the global stage.
In summary, the livestream of BTS’s comeback concert on Netflix garnered significant viewership and engagement, highlighting the group’s ongoing popularity. Despite discrepancies in attendance estimates and fluctuations in HYBE’s stock, the successful album release and planned world tour signal a strong return for BTS and their influence in the music industry.
