BTS Returns, Captivates 18.4 Million Worldwide... Tops Netflix Non-English Rankings
'Arirang' Comeback at Gwanghwamun Tops Charts in 24 Countries
Documentary on the Making of the Album Premieres on the 27th
The group BTS held a free comeback concert, "BTS Comeback Live: Arirang" (BTSTHECOMEBACKLIVE｜ARIRANG), on the 21st at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. BTS is performing at the concert. March 21, 2026. Photo by Joint Press Corps
View original imageBTS drew a global audience of 18.4 million viewers for their comeback performance.
Netflix announced on the 25th that the cumulative number of real-time and within-24-hour viewers for the "BTS Comeback Live: Arirang" concert, held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the 21st, reached this figure.
According to the official count, the video recorded 13.1 million views (the number calculated by dividing total watch time by runtime) during the previous week (March 16–22), ranking first among non-English programs. It entered the top 10 weekly rankings in 80 countries and claimed the number one spot in 24 of them. On social networking services (SNS), related content garnered more than 2.62 billion exposures, further proving its buzzworthy status.
The explosive response was fueled by a long four-year wait. Since December 2022, all BTS members sequentially fulfilled their mandatory military service, resulting in what is referred to as a "military hiatus." Immediately upon their discharge in June last year, they began working on their fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," and marked their return with this performance at Gwanghwamun.
Variety, a U.S. entertainment media outlet, commented, "It is no surprise that this comeback was a success, given that it marks their first official stage since the global sensation they caused four years ago."
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The passion of the performance will be captured in a documentary as well. Netflix will release "BTS: The Return," a documentary highlighting the making of their fifth studio album, to audiences worldwide on the 27th.
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