(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] This is the South Korean K-pop sensation, BTS.
(upbeat music)
One of the most commercially successful bands in the world.
- [Group] Thank you!
- [Narrator] And this is 30 year old Jin, the eldest member
who's swapping red carpet hairstyles for a buzzcut
as he starts his mandatory military service.
Something all young,
abled-bodied men in South Korea must do.
- Get the BTS Meal at McDonald's.
- [Narrator] His departure is a big disruption
to the BTS money-making juggernaut
of endorsements, merchandise, and marketing,
which has generated $4.2 billion
for the South Korean economy.
So, here's what makes up the BTS business empire.
(BTS singing in Korean)
(electronic music)
BTS was the first K-pop act
to top the US album chart in 2020
and has produced a series of number one songs
on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart.
The band has sold out US stadiums,
and once grossed $33 million in ticket sales
for a four day concert event in Los Angeles last December.
There's also plenty of merchandise for sale,
from special edition light sticks
that cost more than $100,
to $85 hoodies and $14 necklaces.
- [Crowd] BTS! BTS!
- [Narrator] And the people spending money on all this,
the band's loyal followers who call themselves the Army.
(crowd cheering)
And tens of millions of them follow BTS
on social media platforms.
It's this global appeal
that's a large part of BTS's success
and why some of the world's biggest brands
want to be seen alongside the band.
- Chicken McNuggets.
- [Narrator] In 2021, McDonald's created the BTS Meal.
It included fries, nuggets, a Coke,
and two sauces picked by the members.
McDonald's later said the collaboration
helped the company see a 57% increase in sales
from a year earlier.
- Louis Vuitton (speaking Korean)
- [Narrator] The band has also partnered with
a wide range of fashion brands
from luxury names like Louis Vuitton
to athletic wear like Puma.
- [Announcer] Made by BTS.
- [Narrator] The band hasn't stopped there.
(bright music)
It's even gone into gaming
where players follow the members on a seaside vacation,
selecting food and outfits for them.
BTS Island was downloaded more than 5,000,000 times
on the Google Play Store
and has in-app purchases that can cost as much as $10.
♪ All the people, people, people ♪
- [Narrator] BTS's influence is probably most felt at home
on the wide South Korean economy.
- (speaking Korean) Uh-huh.
- [Narrator] The band has been Seoul's Tourism Ambassador
since 2017.
Nearly 800,000 tourists visited the country because of them
according to a 2018 report
by the Soul-based think tank Hyundai Research Institute.
All this helped BTS contribute an estimated $4.2 billion
to the South Korean economy.
(upbeat music)
The seismic economic influence can also move markets.
When the band's management company HYBE went public in 2020,
it was valued at $4 billion,
that lead to $7.6 billion in the first day of trading.
- (speaking Korean)
- [Narrator] The band news can tip the market
in the other direction.
- (speaking Korean)
- [Narrator] The announcement that BTS
would be taking time to focus on solo acts
sent shares of HYBE tumbling in June
and they're still down this year.
(upbeat music)
Jin is just the beginning of the BTS empire upheaval.
The other six members who are between the ages of 25 and 29
must start their conscription by 30.
And HYBE said they all plan to carry out their service
based on individual plans.
(crowd cheering)
Before any announcement about BTS taking a break,
researchers had estimated the band's economic impact
between 2014 and 2023 to reach around $42.8 billion.
(crowd cheering)
But now, fans, brands, and the South Korean economy
may have to wait and see
if the boys do indeed get back together
after their time in the military ends.
(upbeat music)