BTS' comeback concert draws 18 million global viewers

About 18 million people around the world tuned in to watch BTS’s comeback concert on Netflix, the global streamer said.

The Saturday night livestream drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide within its first day of release. Since its release, the broadcast has landed in the weekly Top 10 rankings across 80 countries and reached No. 1 in 24 territories.

The event, held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, was broadcast globally in real time. Netflix revealed the livestream was supported by the company’s streaming infrastructure, including its proprietary Open Connect content delivery network, load-balancing systems, automatic multi-encoder switching and a live-specific encoding pipeline. Production involved staff from 10 countries working across eight languages, it said.

On the technical side, the broadcast setup included 23 cameras, 124 broadcast monitors and about 164.5 metric tons of equipment. Roughly 9.5 kilometers of power cables were installed at the venue, and the operation also relied on 40 terabytes of server capacity, the platform added.

“BTS Comeback Live: Arirang” is currently available on the platform with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support, along with subtitles in more than 34 languages added after the live broadcast. The performance marked the group’s first full-member comeback in roughly four years, following a hiatus while the members completed their mandatory military service.

A follow-up documentary, “BTS: The Return,” is scheduled to premiere Friday. It will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the group reuniting in Los Angeles in summer 2025 after completing military service to record "Arirang," while exploring the pressures surrounding their return and the creative process behind the project.