SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – MARCH 21: (Editorial use only) K-pop boy band BTS performs on stage during their comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. This free concert will be the band’s first performance in almost four years. (Photo by Kim Hongji – Pool/Getty Images)
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Shares of Hive, the parent company of South Korean boy band BTS, fell 15% on Monday after a smaller-than-expected crowd for their long-awaited comeback in Seoul on Saturday.
According to Reuters, local authorities said just over 100,000 fans attended the band’s first concert in more than three years, lower than the 260,000 expected. The event drew criticism from some South Koreans as strict security measures against the crowds largely failed to materialize.
BTS holds the key to Hybe’s revenue, and profits have been sluggish during the band’s long hiatus due to mandatory military service starting in 2022. Hybe owns the band’s record label, Big Hit Music, which brought BTS worldwide fame after the release of their first album in 2013.
While the stock price decline reflects investors’ disappointment with the band’s return, the tour is being streamed in 190 countries on Netflix, which could help offset some of the decline in live attendance.
The seven-piece group is widely regarded as the pioneers of the K-Pop genre, but the industry has become increasingly competitive in their absence.
Bands like Blackpink, Seventeen, and Stray Kids have all gained market share, and the Netflix movie Kpop Demon Hunters has proven popular, especially among younger viewers.
According to Nomura, the decline in the company’s stock price goes against analysts’ high expectations for the stock based on tour dates that have “exceeded expectations,” and Nomura raised its price target on the stock to 410,000 won (approximately $276) from 354,000 won in January.
The group is scheduled to perform 79 shows in 23 countries on the first leg of the tour, which kicked off in Seoul on Saturday night.
—CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie also contributed to this report.
