Disney and K-Pop supergroup BTS are going to do business together.
The Walt Disney Company and BTS’ studio house Hybe on Tuesday unveiled a new global content partnership, under which the companies will work together to produce five streaming titles, including three exclusive projects with BTS or BTS members. Joining the world’s most popular K-pop group is undoubtedly a coup for Disney, as it aims to both increase global subscriber numbers and overtake Netflix as a destination for affordable Korean entertainment.
The three upcoming titles featuring the K-pop stars are:
BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage – LA: An exclusive cinematic 4K concert film featuring BTS’s live performance at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles in November 2021. Featuring Billboard hits “Butter” and “Permission to Dance”, this marked the first time in two years since the pandemic that the met band fans in person.
In the Soup: Friendcation: An original travel reality show with a star-studded cast including V from BTS, Itaewon class‘Seo-jun park, Parasite star Woo-shik Choi, Hyung-sik Park and Peakboy. In the show, the five friends embark on a surprise journey and enjoy a variety of leisure and fun activities.
BTS Landmarks: Beyond the Star: “This original docu-series follows the incredible journey of 21st century pop icons BTS,” said Disney. “With unprecedented access to a vast library of music and visuals over the past nine years, the series will capture the daily lives, thoughts and plans of BTS members as they prepare for their second chapter.” The show will be available exclusively on Disney’s streaming services in 2023.
“We are excited to partner with Hybe to showcase their original content, created with powerful artist IPs, on our global streaming services, including Disney+,” said Jessica Kam-Engle, head of content at Disney’s APAC. “This partnership represents our creative ambition – to partner with iconic content creators and top stars in Asia-Pacific so that mainstream audiences can enjoy their talent in multiple ways. We believe these new titles will captivate consumers around the world and look forward to introducing more music content to our service.”
“This will be the beginning of a long-term partnership, bringing a broad range of Hybe content to a global audience for fans who love our music and artists,” added Park Ji-won, CEO of Hybe. “The Walt Disney Company has a long history of building franchises and promoting music artists, with its unparalleled brands and platforms.”
More to come…