As of January 2023, YouTube videos from the popular K-pop boyband BTS were among the most-viewed K-pop videos on YouTube. Over the past year, Japanese viewers made up the largest share of watchers with around 918 million views on the band’s videos, followed by 778 million views from India and 658 million views from Mexico. In June 2019, BTS videos accounted for around 21 percent of all K-pop videos viewed around the world on YouTube. BTS has two official YouTube channels, “Hybe Labels” from its agency BigHit Music, as well as their own “Bangtan TV”.
Who is BTS?
BTS is a K-pop group consisting of seven South Korean men, first formed in 2013 by what was then a small agency, Big Hit Entertainment. Now BTS and its members are widely considered the most popular K-pop artists. They regularly break their own records to set new records in album sales and YouTube viewership. Furthermore, they set a new record by becoming the first K-pop group to address the United Nations. BTS is still gaining fans around the world, and these fans formed the “ARMY”. The continuous growth of their fandom is a major driving force behind BTS’ record-setting. The group’s successes also benefited its agency, Big Hit Music. On the brink of bankruptcy just a decade ago, Big Hit returned to making a profit thanks to BTS and had the highest operating profits among the Big 4 entertainment companies in South Korea. The agency has since formed a corporation by the name of HYBE, and has acquired several more labels.
Secret to BTS’ popularity
BTS started to gain popularity abroad with their music, which offers something for everyone and covers diverse topics such as mental health and contemporary social issues. They also post a large amount of content on YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms, such as the standard “official music videos”, behind-the-scenes videos, and variety shows. Exceptional choreography also attracted and held the eyes of the band’s audience, especially drawing in teenagers for whom the lyrics in BTS’ songs struck a chord. BTS has gathered a sizeable fanbase in the Americas where traditionally K-pop had struggled to break into the mainstream. YouTube played a major role in this success. They are also popular in many other countries, with Japan, India, and Mexico contributing the most in terms of YouTube views in 2022.
Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country
(in millions)
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YouTube. (January 23, 2023). Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country (in millions) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/
YouTube. "Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country (in millions)." Chart. January 23, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/
YouTube. (2023). Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country (in millions). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/
YouTube. "Number of Views of K-pop Group Bts (Bangtan Boys) Videos on Youtube during The Previous Year as of January 2023, by Country (in Millions)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Jan 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/
YouTube, Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country (in millions) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Number of views of K-pop group BTS (Bangtan Boys) videos on YouTube during the previous year as of January 2023, by country (in millions) [Graph], YouTube, January 23, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/973644/south-korea-bts-youtube-channel-views-by-country/