How Effective Was the BTS Impact?... Netflix and Weverse See Surge in Traffic

Netflix Daily Active Users Jump by 1.5 Times
Weverse App Downloads Surge to 100,000

The BTS comeback concert, which electrified Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul last month, not only expanded Netflix's influence in the advertising market but also contributed to increased activity on the Weverse platform.

BTS comeback live broadcasted on Netflix. Photo by Netflix

According to Sensor Tower on April 6, the number of daily active users on the Netflix app in Korea on March 21, the day of the BTS concert, increased by 1.5 times compared to the previous day, ranking fifth globally. Netflix's own data showed that the concert attracted 18.4 million viewers worldwide.

Netflix’s ranking among advertisers also surged, climbing from 13th on March 16 to 2nd place for domestic ad exposures on March 21. The advertisements were mainly distributed through major social networking services such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, with most focusing on video content. In particular, messages like "March 21 release," "Only on Netflix," and "Full BTS comeback" were repeatedly used to clearly communicate both the release timing and the platform’s exclusivity.

Driven by the BTS comeback, HYBE’s fan platform Weverse also saw increases in both downloads and daily active users. Global app downloads rose from about 40,000 on March 18 to around 100,000 on March 21, a 2.5-fold increase. During the same period, the number of daily active users increased by approximately 66%. This was also influenced by the in-app event "BTS The City Arirang-Seoul," which was released the day before the concert. This event stimulated app visits by encouraging fan participation through location-based missions and rewards.

Industry observers noted that BTS’s comeback, as a single global event, significantly impacted key indicators in both advertising and apps, beyond just capturing fan attention. Netflix plans to continue its efforts to promote Korean content worldwide in a variety of formats and genres. As a differentiation strategy within the streaming market, Netflix has been showcasing live content and is increasing related investments in Asia. The largest live event in Netflix history, in terms of viewership, was the 2024 boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, which attracted about 65 million viewers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.