Netflix, the global streaming platform that broadcast BTS’s comeback concert live to 190 countries, reportedly held sponsorship discussions with domestic and international companies, but the talks ultimately fell through.
According to sources in the entertainment industry on March 24, Netflix engaged in talks with multiple major corporations ahead of BTS’s Gwanghwamun comeback live event, 'BTS COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG.' An industry insider said, "Netflix reportedly discussed sponsorship with a South Korean airline, but the deal fell through at the final decision stage." The platform was unable to close agreements despite approaching not only the airline but also a global credit card company and a leading internet company known for its search engine. The sponsorship proposals reportedly reached hundreds of billions of Korean KRW.
While the live event drew 18.4 million viewers worldwide, reaffirming BTS’s status as a global world star, it fell short of initial market expectations, which had anticipated tens of millions of viewers.
Netflix reported on March 25 that the 'BTS COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG,' streamed live to 190 countries on March 21, attracted 18.4 million viewers on the day of the broadcast. The weekly viewership, calculated by dividing total watch time by the running time, reached 13.1 million. This made it the most-watched non-English TV show globally for the third week of March, from March 16 to March 22. The event also ranked number one in weekly viewership in 24 countries.
The live broadcast time was 8 p.m. KST on March 21, which corresponded to 7 a.m. EST and 4 a.m. PST, outside typical content-viewing hours in the United States. In Western Europe, including London at 12 p.m. and Paris at 1 p.m., the daytime slot on a weekend limited real-time viewership because families were often engaged in outdoor activities.
Netflix generally does not attach advertisements or sponsorships to its original content, although there are exceptions. The globally successful 'Squid Game 2' collaborated with Kia for marketing purposes.
The company reportedly invested heavily in the BTS live event, covering production costs estimated in the hundreds of billions of Korean KRW while ensuring HYBE retained intellectual property rights. A Netflix spokesperson confirmed, "It is true that we held discussions with domestic and international companies regarding the BTS performance. However, the specific details of the contracts cannot be disclosed publicly."
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