1 of 5 | K-pop superstars BTS shown here speaking earlier this year at the White House, will bring original content to streamer Disney+, the group's management company and Disney announced Tuesday. File Photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI |
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SEOUL, July 12 (UPI) -- BTS is coming to streamer Disney+ as part of a content deal between the K-pop superstars' management firm HYBE and Walt Disney Co., the companies announced Tuesday.
Three titles involving the boy band or its members were unveiled Tuesday, including the live concert film BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage -- LA, which features a performance at Los Angeles' Sofi Stadium in November. It was the band's first in-person concert in almost two years after the pandemic scrapped their planned world tour.
Also on tap for the Disney streaming service is a docuseries, BTS Monuments: Beyond the Star.
"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," HYBE said in a release.
The project comes on the heels of an announced hiatus by BTS last month. HYBE later clarified in a statement that the group would remain active while "starting a new chapter with new solo projects, as well as group projects."
A third show, In the Soop: Friendcation, will include BTS member V as part of a travel reality series featuring Korean entertainment stars such as Itaewon Class' Seo-jun Park and Parasite star Woo-shik Choi.
At least two more content titles from HYBE will be distributed exclusively by Disney, the companies said.
"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," Park Ji-won, CEO of HYBE, said in a statement. "The Walt Disney Company has a long history of franchise building and promoting musical artists, with its unparalleled brands and platforms."
South Korea has become a content powerhouse for streaming services with hit shows such as 2021 phenomenon Squid Game providing a huge boost for global leader Netflix. Last year, Netflix invested $500 million in projects in the country.
Rival platforms have also tapped into the K-content pipeline, with Apple TV+ launching the Korean-language original series Dr. Brain and Pachinko and Disney+ releasing Snowdrop, featuring Blackpink member Jisoo. Disney+ earlier this year announced plans to release 20 Korean dramas in 2022, and bringing the world's biggest band and its legions of adoring fans, known as Army, onto the platform is a major win.
BTS released a three-disc anthology, Proof, last month as the group celebrated its ninth anniversary.
The septet's members have been busy with solo projects since last month's "new chapter" announcement. Junggook collaborated with Charlie Puth on the single "Left and Right" in June, while J-Hope's album Jack in the Box is slated for release on Friday.
BTS will also get together for a concert in October to support the city of Busan's bid to host the World Expo in 2030.
