Fans of the Korean pop band BTS are putting the pressure on Netflix, demanding that the service add the group’s concert movie, Burn The Stage, to its catalogue.
BTS has become a global force to be reckoned with in the last few years. The group’s fame has extended well beyond the borders of South Korea, and they now sell out stadiums in the U.S. and around the world. On Nov. 15, Trafalgar Releasing put out a movie documenting the band’s 2017 The Wings Tour, with behind the scenes footage and videos of live shows as well. The movie was not available to all of the group’s man fans, however, and they are hoping to change that.
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A petition went up on Change.org before the movie was even released, in late October. It was written by a user named Kainaat A., and asked Netflix to license Burn The Stage for the benefit of BTS’ global audience. It pleads in the name of the group’s most dedicated fans, who call themselves the A.R.M.Y. (Adorable Representatives of MC Youth).
“I would like the movie Burn The Stage to be on Netflix since many ARMYs won’t be able to watch BTS in the cinemas,” Kainaat wrote. “I believe that this will be a huge success for Netflix and BTS themselves. Thank you.”
At the time of this writing, the petition has over 17,000 signatures and growing fast. It has a goal of 25,000 signatures, though it could always overshoot that goal if it gets enough exposure.
“Not all ARMYs local cinemas are playing the Burn the Stage movie including mine,” wrote one signer with a frowny face. “Please consider having this on Netflix.”
“It’s a really precious movie and I would love to watch it again,” added another, “besides that a lot of ARMYs didn’t get to watch it and I would like them to have the same experience as I did.”
“Since BTS is becoming so popular, the tickets will be hard to get,” argued a third fan. “When I tried to find tickets, they were already sold out. Many people will not be able to find or afford tickets.”
BTS — which stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan, Beyond the Scene and a few other variations — may have more influence of the distribution of their movie than some fans think. The group is a cultural sensation, and streaming services, premium networks and other providers will likely fight to get the rights to the movie. By the time BTS got to the U.S., they could already sell out huge venues and book massive shows. In November, they became the first K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards, and fans turned out in huge numbers to see them.
By the looks of it, they will do the same if Burn the Stage ever lands on Netflix. So far there is no official word on how the movie will be distributed.
