BTS set Guinness record for most-watched online concert

PHOTO: BTS.BIGHITOFFICIAL/INSTAGRAM

SEOUL • Is there anything they cannot do?

South Korean boy band BTS have set yet another Guinness World Record, this time for the most viewers for a music concert live stream.

On Tuesday, the Guinness World Records announced that BTS' online concert, Bang Bang Con: The Live, which streamed live on June 14, had drawn more than 700,000 viewers from more than a hundred different regions around the world.

The pay-per-view concert, with tickets priced at US$25 (S$34.50) each, was held in lieu of a live performance in the light of restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Bang Bang Con: The Live was available on the boy band's agency, Big Hit Entertainment's, platform WeVerse, and on American live-streaming start-up, Kiswe Mobile.

Member Jimin, whose real name is Park Ji-min, said: "Though we may not be able to see each other at this time, we've been constantly striving to grow as a group."

Referring to the pandemic, he said: "We're coping pretty well, so we hope you too can overcome this time by finding the small joy within."

This is not BTS' only Guinness World Record. Others include the title of first K-pop act to reach No. 1 on the United States album chart, best-selling album (South Korea) and most Twitter engagements.

The group also set a record for reaching one million followers on TikTok in the fastest time. It took them around three hours.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 24, 2020, with the headline BTS set Guinness record for most-watched online concert. Subscribe