Raup Rp467 Billion, BTS Concert Plays In 3,711 Cinemas Worldwide

JAKARTA - The concert "BTS Permission to Dance on Stage: Seoul" which was shown live in theaters worldwide has earned US$32.6 million or around IDR 467 billion from 3,711 cinemas in 75 markets.

In the context of concert screenings, this makes more money in a single day than some Hollywood films opening weekends during the pandemic.

Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, called the figures astonishing and unprecedented.

"For a one-day gross to come in at this level, particularly global numbers, it's staggering and it's only a one-off event but it can drive audiences into theaters", Dergarabedian said.

Unlike "Break the Silence: The Movie", a documentary about BTS stars RM, Jin, SUGA, J-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook as they embark on their 2019 tour, screenings of "BTS Permission to Dance on Stage: Seoul "This weekend is not like a conventional feature film.

Ticket buyers were treated to a live stream, which was a delayed recording in several locations due to the time difference between BTS's concert at the Olympic Stadium, South Korea.

In North America, "BTS Permission to Dance on Stage: Seoul" hit 803 theaters and grossed an estimated $6.84 million on Saturday.

This means each place earns an average of $8,500. That's just below "The Batman" which got 15,621 per cinema at the weekend.

Making the ticket sales even more impressive, "BTS Permission to Dance on Stage" managed to break into the top five on the domestic box office chart despite being screened at less than 1,000 locations.

The screening landed in third place behind superhero adventures "The Batman" (which raised $66 million from 4,417 spots over the weekend) and Tom Holland's video game adaptation "Uncharted" (which made $9.2 million from 3,725 locations over the weekend).

In the US and Canada, tickets sell for $35 which is higher than the average ticket price in North America of $9. The higher prices don't seem to deter anyone.

Multiplexes in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, and Chicago were particularly busy, with many reporting several sold-out screenings.

"Because the pandemic has made it difficult to access concert venues, we wanted to create an opportunity for fans to gather and watch concerts together", said HYBE 360 President DJ Kim as quoted by ANTARA, March 14.

"We came up with the idea of 'seeing live' in theaters and are happy to offer an alternative experience for fans to enjoy live concerts", he continued.

Meanwhile, Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing said that the results that have been achieved are a testament to how dedicated BTS or Army fans are and the return of people to theaters on a global scale.