▲ K-pop supergroup BTS performs during the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026, in this AFP photo. (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, July 23 (Yonhap) -- Global interest in K-pop supergroup BTS surged after its performance at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, with Google searches and music streaming rising sharply.

 

The group's appearance at the World Cup final halftime show is widely seen as reinforcing its global presence before one of the world's largest television audiences.

 

According to Google Trends on Wednesday, the search interest index for the keyword "BTS" on July 20 (Korea time), the day of the World Cup final, rose to about four times its usual level.

 

Google Trends measures relative search interest by assigning a value of 100 to the period with the highest search volume within a selected timeframe.

 

▲ K-pop supergroup BTS performs during the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at New York New Jersey Stadium, New Jersey, on July 19, 2026, in this Associated Press photo. (Yonhap)

 

Using the World Cup final day as the benchmark of 100, the search interest index ranged around 26 between July 12 and July 19, indicating that global searches for BTS increased roughly fourfold on the day of the halftime performance.

 

Over the past year, excluding the World Cup final, the highest search interest for BTS came in mid-March during the release of the group's fifth full-length album, "ARIRANG," when the index reached 54.

 

The figures suggest that appearing at a major global sporting event significantly boosted public attention.

 

Regional search patterns also reflected the broader impact. While searches during the group's comeback period were concentrated in countries with well-established K-pop fan bases, such as South Korea, Japan and the United States, the halftime show drove notable increases in searches from Europe, South America and Africa, where K-pop-related search activity has traditionally been lower.

 

The performance also boosted music streaming.

 

According to Spotify, BTS recorded more than 30 million streams on the day of the match, the highest among artists who have performed at World Cup final halftime shows, including Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.

 

Streams of the group's signature hit "Dynamite" jumped 105 percent immediately after the halftime performance compared with before the show.

 

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]