Disney has a long time catching up to Netflix when it comes to bankable Korean Entertainment. The intentions of tapping Korean Market and furthering global subscription count became quite clear after the raging success of Squid Game last year. Not only is the streamer trying to roll out original Korean shows with big names, but has now gotten into long term business with K-Pop supergroup BTS.
There’s no denying that BTS is unarguably the most popular pillar of South Korean Entertainment now worldwide. So getting into a long term multiple-programme contract with the group at a time when the band itself has called for a hiatus, seems like a clever move to tap in the absence of the group at concerts for a while. Netflix collaborated with super popular K-Pop girl group Blackpink for a documentary featuring their journey to superstardom in 2020. Disney’s collaboration with BTS aligns very much in the direction Netflix has moved to cater to the South Korean market. The streamer previously said that it is looking to release over 20 Korean titles this year including atleast 12 Korean originals. The company’s most popular original so far has been Snowdrop, starring Jisoo, a member of K-pop girl group Blackpink.
The Walt Disney Company and BTS’ studio home Hybe revealed a new global partnership that will see them work together to produce five titles for Disney’s streaming services. This includes three exclusive projects featuring BTS or BTS members.
The three forthcoming titles featuring the K-pop stars are :
BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage – LA: An exclusive cinematic 4K concert film that features BTS’ live performance in Los Angeles’ Sofi Stadium in November 2021. The film has footages of the team Performing Billboard hit songs “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” This was the first time the band met fans in person since the pandemic.
In the Soup: Friendcation: A travel reality show with a jam packed cast including V of BTS, Seo-jun Park of Itaewon Class, Choi Woo-Shik of Parasite, Hyung-sik Park and Peakboy. For the unversed, V even composed songs in the soundtrack of Choi Woo-shik’s latest drama ‘Our Beloved Summer’. The show features five real life friends as they venture on a surprise trip.
BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star: “This original docu-series follows the incredible journey of 21st century pop icons BTS,” says Disney. “With unprecedented access to a vast library of music and footage over the past nine years, the series will feature the daily lives, thoughts and plans of BTS members, as they prepare for their second chapter.” The show will stream exclusively on Disney’s streaming services from 2023.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Hybe to showcase their original content created with powerful artist IP on our global streaming services including Disney+,” said Jessica Kam-Engle, Disney’s APAC head of content.
“This will be the start of a long-term collaboration, where we present worldwide audiences a wide range of Hybe content for fans who love our music and artists,” added Park Ji-won, CEO of Hybe.
BTS revealed earlier this month that they intend to focus more on solo projects from now on for a period of time – a phase the group members described as a ‘hiatus’. Hybe later clarified that the group will very much remain together despite each of them focusing on their individual endeavours and that BTS’ members would continue to participate in group activities. The forthcoming Disney+ original, BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star will apparently explore some of the nuances of this second chapter for the pop icons. However, Disney has hit a jackpot with BTS and the giant could easily use the maximum of it especially with the boy-band taking a backseat as a group for now and even move past Netflix, given enough focus is put in streaming originals too.
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