BTS drew a jaw-dropping amount of people to watch their comeback on Netflix.
On Tuesday (March 24), Netflix reported that 18.4 million viewers tuned in to watch BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG during the initial livestream on March 21 beginning at 8 p.m. KST (4 a.m. PT / 7 a.m. ET), plus those who watched it the following day.
The concert, which was held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, was in support of the K-pop sensation’s new album ARIRANG and marked their first performance as a group in nearly four years. Reports say the event drew over 100,000 in-person attendees.
ARIRANG also broke multiple Spotify records upon its release, with the streamer confirming that the album is the most streamed K-pop album in Spotify history and most streamed album in a single day in 2026.
Variety recently reported that the album debuted with 110 million global streams on its first day, the highest opening of the year and the best first-day performance ever for a K-pop release on Spotify. The album was also presaved on the platform more than five million times.
That figure ranks as the 12th biggest opening day in Spotify history overall, placing BTS alongside top global acts.
However, the album is already surpassing other 2026 releases like Harry Styles' album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which opened with 63 million streams.
Songs from the ARIRANG also swept the Spotify Global Top 50, occupying all 14 top positions, while dominating much of the U.S. chart as well.
It’s likely that ARIRANG will remain the year’s biggest release without competing albums from major players such as Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny on the horizon.
Beyond streaming, ARIRANG has also achieved huge sales. As reported by Korea JoongAng Daily, the album sold 3.98 million copies within its first 24 hours, surpassing one million in just 10 minutes and setting a new record for BTS' first-week sales.
The project, executive produced by HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk, explores themes of identity and emotion, and features the title track "SWIM."
The 14-track project features production and songwriting credits from major names such as Diplo, Kevin Parker of Tame Impala, Mike Will Made It, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Flume, El Guincho, JPEGMAFIA, and Teezo Touchdown.
ARIRANG marks BTS' first full album in six years and their first since completing their mandatory South Korean military service.
