BTS livestream draws more viewers than Oscars, says Netflix

The comeback concert by K-pop megastars BTS drew an estimated 18.4 million viewers worldwide, streaming giant Netflix said on 25 March, giving the event a larger audience than this year's Oscars telecast and highlighting the scale of the group's global return

The concert, titled "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG", was staged at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on 21 March and marked the group's first major comeback performance in nearly four years.

It also marked Netflix's first live event in South Korea, as well as its first global live-streaming of a music performance on a large scale.

Netflix said its livestream of the show drew 18.4 million global viewers, surpassing the 17.9 million viewers recorded for the 98th Academy Awards across ABC and Hulu in the United States.

It added that its estimates were based on first-party data.

The event was built around the release of BTS's fifth studio album, ARIRANG, which was released on 20 March.

Netflix described the programme as a global live performance celebrating the group's return from Seoul's historic Gwanghwamun Square.

The seven-member group — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — performed together for the first time following a long hiatus due to mandatory military service.

During the show, they performed Body to Body, a track from the new album that includes a choral sample of the traditional Korean folk song Arirang, after which the album is named.

The folk song, about longing and separation, is often called South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

Fans filled the venue waving glowsticks and singing along to the group's hits, while giant screens allowed the crowd to follow the performance.

More than 100,000 fans attended in central Seoul, according to the group's label.

The figure includes ticket holders and data from telecom carriers, budget mobile users and foreign visitors.

According to the Seoul metropolitan government's crowd-tracking system, an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people were in the area that night, a city official said.

Local reports noted that the figures vary because the system relies mainly on mobile base station data and does not capture signals from foreign visitors.

The concert also entered Netflix's weekly Top 10 in 80 countries and ranked No 1 in 24 of them, including Thailand, reflecting the group's global fan base.

The group's label, citing Spotify, said SWIM, the title track of the new album, topped the Daily Top Songs Global chart for three straight days from 20-22 March, while Body to Body held No 2 over the same period.

The latest album, ARIRANG, is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's Korean identity and sold nearly four million copies on its first day, according to the label.

Around 15,000 police officers and security personnel were mobilised for the concert, with barricades lining roads and nearby venues shut.

Following the 21 March concert, the group will embark on their ARIRANG world tour, beginning on 9 April in Goyang, South Korea.

The 2026–27 tour spans 82 concerts across 34 cities in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America, including Singapore.

Tickets for shows in South Korea, North America and Europe sold out within hours.