In a ground-breaking crossover of the pop culture multiverse, South Korean singer Kim Taehyung, aka BTS’ V, and Japanese baseball designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers collided in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, August 25 (local time). The K-pop sensation’s arrival at Dodger Stadium in the United States had created a buzzing storm of anticipation beforehand, keeping in line with his (and his group’s) usual record-breaking streak.

The K-pop idol came out to throw his first-ever ceremonial pitch for the Dodgers ahead of their showdown against the Cincinnati Red. As one could have expected, millions of fans, aka BTS ARMYs, are believed to have rushed to grab tickets online before the big day.

ALSO READ

BTS’ V triggers 5x Dodgers ticket sales

As the Hallyu Wave’s tide continues to rise worldwide, ticket exchange and resale marketplace StubHub announced well in advance that ticket sales for the Dodgers game featuring BTS V had spiked five-fold. “Dodgers ticket sales jumped 5× overnight on StubHub after V from BTS was announced to throw the first pitch on August 25th, making the Dodgers the #1 most searched MLB team this week,” StubHub’s official X account shared on August 19 (IST).

In addition to the ticket sales for the Major League Baseball (MLB) event surging beyond comprehension, StubHub reportedly even encountered a temporary server overload due to the unimaginable levels of incoming traffic.

ALSO READ

MLB embraces love for South Korean icons

“ARMY, you ready? V will be at Dodger Stadium on 8/25 to throw out the ceremonial pitch! (purple heart emoji)” the Los Angeles Dodgers tweeted over a week ago, alongside a poster featuring the Taehyung, which, in turn, had attracted nearly five million viewers at the time of writing. Fans instantly showered the social media handle with love and heart emojis, thanking the Dodgers for inviting V to throw the first pitch.

Consequently, iconic South Korean footballer Son Heung Min, who is also Taehyung’s close friend, will be following suit on Wednesday, August 27 (US time).