There are several questionable decisions in history.
The Trojan Horse, the Titanic, the New Coke and many others line up the list of most questionable decisions of history.
(Circa Dec 5, 2021)
This is probably the worst business decision ever made in the history of Pop.
Hybe should have started a big tour in USA.
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Bad Bunny, who specializes in Latin music, raked $435 million this year.
He had 81 shows , averaging $5 million each. (Some of his concerts are held in regions which only have smaller venues)
Given his genre , he can only perform in USA and Latin America. And that 's what he accomplished.
If Bang were not too greedy and had the foresight to incorporate Hybe in a country not named K-O-R-E-A , BTS would have averaged at least 50 stadium concerts, raking maybe an average of $10 mill each, for at least $500 million.
That does NOT include any sales of derivative goods.
Sure, they would have lost the handful of the K-O-R-E-A-N fans, who were already moving on to younger act, and people like IU and Lim Youngwoong. Losing K-O-R-E-A was NOT a big deal for BTS.
But it was a big deal for Mr. Bang, who wanted to join Korea's elites like the families owning Samsung and Hyundai.
I judge any individual activities of BTS as being tangential. None of them will do a world concert, and I doubt none of them will even reach IU's status by themselves.
The income they lost in 2021-2025 because of the stupid decision to return to K-O-R-E-A, which actually put IU above BTS on that same year, is about $3 - 4 billion, probably more since they were the world's biggest act.
Some Armies have big hopes on the 2025 so-called Yet to Come .
Whyknock personally doubts it will do as well as what Bad Bunny did this year.
Whether the Armies like it or not, interest on BTS is already waning around the world. They were too associated with the covid lockdown era , and now it is ending, people want to move on. I have studied enough history to base my decisions.
Some K-O-R-E-A-N incels who tried to build an argument said they could finish their services and could enter a 'long-run' mode.
Well, they might try to build logic, but they seem to be quite weak on arithmetic.
If BTS said goodbye to K-O-R-E-A and raked money for the next 4 years, they would have earned at least $5 billion, probably more, worldwide.
In 2025-26, with international power and influence on BTS waning significantly (I estimate about 25% of now), and some other act, probably NOT from K-O-R-E-A, having taken over as the top billed act of the world, they would be lucky to bring $120 million, which is what they did in 2019.
With other goods sales and albums, they perhaps could bring in 250 million/year.
That will take twenty long years to make up for the best 4 years of BTS which they will never have.
Elton John did $200 million but this is his final year of doing tours. His previous years showed less income.
Plus all these acts who are doing 'long runs' are not dance acts.
Given that some members want to do more solo activities in 2023, that means they won't enlist then which means to meet the 2025 deadline they will enlist in 2026, which means the next concert schedule will be in 2028, when Seokjin would be .... 37. (And Jungkook would have his own plans.)
Some Armies say they will still go to listen to them just standing up and singing their old numbers. How many of them will there by?
g.o.d. had a concert at the Olympic Stadium (One day) in 2001 and 2014. About 50,000 each.
Guess the 2nd concert at the Olympic Stadium didn't do well , so they went don to the Gymnastics Arena in 2015, and did the same in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
BTS, if it goes as what is flowing now, might have to be reduced to arena tours by 2028 or so. Some Armies will accept it. But I, who value world conquest, don't really value it too much