BTS brought live-streaming concerts to K-pop fans in lockdown for free … now NCT Dream, SuperM and NCT 127 repeat the trick – but only to viewers prepared to pay
Big Hit Entertainment’s BangBangCon bonanza aired 4 BTS concerts to over 50 million viewers – now SM Entertainment is charging K-pop fans US$30 to access V Live concerts by WayV, NCT Dream and NCT 127, while SuperM fans can buy tickets to a virtual talk from US$33, plus merchandise
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the indefinite postponement of many large-scale entertainment events the world over. In the sphere of K-pop, NCT Dream’s Japan tour dates, titled The Dream Show, were cancelled and no updates have been given for NCT 127’s planned North American tour dates this summer.
Earlier, to make up to disappointed fans of South Korea’s biggest band, Big Hit Entertainment aired live-streams of classic BTS concerts to help fans around the world through self-quarantine and to encourage people to stay home. The free-to-view BangBangCon bonanza of May 18-19 aired four of their concerts to over 50 million views.
Perhaps inspired by this success, SM Entertainment has partnered with live-streaming platform V Live to deliver live concert screenings to fans. But each view has to be bought using virtual coins, bought within the app, totalling about US$30 in real-life money.
The concerts will be broadcast via the app’s Beyond Live channel at the following dates: WayV on May 3, NCT Dream on May 10 and NCT 127 on May 17, all at 3pm Korean standard time.
SuperM has also confirmed via Lysn, the group’s official fan community platform, that a live talk show session will be hosted. Fans may enter their purchase of a virtual ticket into a raffle and 160 lucky fans will be invited to a video conference call with the band before the live-stream performances.
Seven fans from these 160 will be chosen to deliver questions to the boys. SM Entertainment has launched a series of fan goods for the online concert, such as photocards, photo invitations, standees, augmented reality tickets and ticket holders.
A set of viewing coins and ticket merchandise can be bought for US$33.64 on the Yes24 global site, while viewing coins and the official lightstick set goes for US$50.66.