K-pop superstars BTS’ two-day “Map of the Soul ON:E” virtual concert drew 993,000 viewers from 191 countries and regions, according to the group’s agency, Big Hit Entertainment.
Held on Oct. 10 and 11 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul, the concert saw BTS performing 23 songs for each day and for the first time, fans were able to watch the stages of the b-side track of the album “Map of the Soul: 7.”
Based on the lowest ticket price of $44.55 alone, it is estimated that the two-day music extravaganza earned at least $44 million or P2.14 billion.
BTS’ first online concert “Bang Bang Con: The Live,” held on June 14, was watched by 756,600 fans from 107 countries and regions and earned an estimated $19.74 million or P993 million. This earned a Guinness World Records title for the most viewers for a music concert live stream.
“Map of the Soul ON:E” became the first streaming concert in the world to use both multi-view and 4K/HD that allowed fans to choose their favorite screen among the six multi-view displays in 4K or HD.
Augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) technologies were used in the concert during BTS’ performances including RM’s giant version in “Persona,” planets that glowed up the stage in “Moon,” cubic reflections of fans and the bullets in “No More Dream.”
“For the ‘Map of the Soul’ album series and this show, we focused on putting our thoughts, personal stories and songs of the past seven years and prepared really hard,” said BTS.
BTS ARMYs were displayed on LED screens and cheers filled the venue in real-time. BTS told them “we are happy to see you, even if it’s through a screen. It’s invigorating to hear your voices in such a long time. They are the most beautiful sound on earth.”
“The concert crossed countless emotions. Our first march began with seven boys who gathered for a small dream. And together, we will march on forever, each of us waving flags of various colors and singing different stories in different languages. BTS is not a story of only seven, but is about you, me and everyone,” BTS said.