Shares of Hybe, the agency behind global K-pop sensation BTS, fell sharply after the boyband’s highly anticipated comeback concert drew far fewer fans than expected.
The free event, held Saturday at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, featured all seven BTS members – Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook – performing together for the first time since their 2022 military hiatus. Around 104,000 fans attended, less than half of the 250,000 originally anticipated.
Hybe’s shares, which had climbed ahead of BTS’s world tour and the release of their new album Arirang, dropped 15.5% on Monday following the turnout.
The concert marked the start of BTS’s 82-date world tour and was live-streamed on Netflix to over 190 countries. Analysts suggested that online streaming and strict crowd management contributed to the lower in-person attendance. Netflix is expected to release viewership figures later this week.
Meanwhile, Big Hit Music reported that Arirang sold 3.98 million copies on its first day. BTS performed tracks from the new album alongside hits like Butter and Dynamite.
BTS remains Hybe’s main revenue driver, and their extended hiatus had previously weighed on profits. With K-pop’s global popularity surging, BTS faces growing competition from groups like Blackpink, Seventeen, and Stray Kids, as well as fictional competitors such as Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, planning a world tour next year to promote its sequel.
Source: BBC
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
