BTS fandom ARMY is up in arms over the group’s company HYBE’s concert ticket policies and indiscriminate monetization of content for fans.
On May 3rd, BTS fans ARMYs posted messages opposing the “dynamic pricing system” and “Weverse service improvements” introduced by HYBE, BTS’s management company, at a conference call the previous day.
ARMYs have been mass trending hashtags such as #Oppose_the_inflated_HYBE_ticket_prices in Korean and #NoDynamicPricing in English.
HYBE’s “dynamic pricing system” refers to a system in which ticket prices fluctuate. The company said at the conference that it had applied dynamic pricing to recent concerts by artists such as BTS Suga and TXT, and that it plans to apply it to all of its artists in the future.
The dynamic pricing system, introduced by concert ticket organizer Ticketmaster, is a system in which ticket prices rise when demand rises, much like airline tickets or hotel stays. As ticket prices continue to change during ticketing, the final payment price cannot be determined.
The dynamic pricing system sparked controversy at Taylor Swift’s concert in November of last year, leading to a hearing. It has also been applied to concerts by Harry Styles, Coldplay, BLACKPINK, and others.
The system was introduced to prevent “ticket scalpers” who buy tickets and resell them for profit. Moreover, Ticketmaster argues that it allows artists to receive more revenue.
There have been numerous complaints from ARMYs who purchased expensive tickets for Suga’s solo concert in the United States recently. Some ARMYs called the ticketing day “a day of chaos.”
One ARMY thought that they had purchased expensive concert tickets due to Ticketmaster’s monopoly, but was shocked to learn that it was a policy accepted by HYBE.
“I spent 2.5 million won on my ticket. I bought them directly from the website, not from scalpers. I criticized Ticketmaster, but now I see the true nature of HYBE,” the ARMY wrote.
One blogger said, “I paid $22 for a paid membership and got the right to buy tickets through a lottery, but on the day of the ticketing, the ticket, which was $400, skyrocketed to $1,800 every time I clicked, so I eventually gave up. In the end, only people with more money will be able to attend concerts.“
One ARMY stated on their channel, “We have the right to buy tickets for HYBE-affiliated artists’ concerts at regular prices. We oppose the artificially inflated ticket prices deliberately pushed by the company.“
In addition, ARMYs raised issues about the Weverse service improvements announced by HYBE during the conference. The company announced the monetization of fan community Weverse, including live subtitles, Weverse DM, ad removal, fan letters, artist handwriting posts, and pre-access to live broadcasts. They also stated that they plan to introduce a virtual currency called “jelly” on Weverse.
ARMYs argue that it is unreasonable to charge expensive prices for communication with fans who have contributed to BTS’s growth as a global group.
An ARMY said, “It is unfair for global fans with hearing impairments to have to understand the message conveyed by the artist through ‘paid’ subtitles. Also, it is impossible to charge enough jelly to use the DM service offered by Weverse’s charging system. This results in unnecessary charging of jelly. Is it appropriate to implement a policy to improve the inconvenience felt by fans using Weverse?“
Another ARMY wrote on Twitter, “After we watered, fertilized, drove away pests, built a fence and created a flower garden, the person who only sprinkled the seeds is now charging an entrance fee to our own flower garden.” They continued, “If it wasn’t for the fans who translated the lyrics and interviews without any conditions, they wouldn’t have been able to dream as big as they are now.“
Another ARMY voiced their disappointment, saying, “Subtitles are the only way for hearing-impaired individuals to communicate with BTS. The artist said they would break down barriers and even used sign language in their MV, but the company did not even care.”
Another ARMY expressed frustration and said, “We have finally become complacent and lost our rights. BTS wants to be loved for their music, not their merchandise.”
ARMYs have been holding back from raising concerns about issues related to HYBE, fearing that it may affect BTS members. However, this time, they are determined not to remain silent.
In particular, they believe that what HYBE is doing is different from what Chairman Bang Si Hyuk expressed in his previous interviews, where he said, “The driving force that allowed BTS to come this far is ARMY. We cannot take a single step without ARMY.“
Source: nate.
