A Ratings Picture Already in DeclineThe financial stakes surrounding BTS's absence come at a time when the Grammy telecast has already been losing viewers for several consecutive years. That declining trajectory matters directly to the ceremony's bottom line, since television ratings are the primary factor networks use to set advertising rates. The group's commercial momentum heading into this awards cycle made the financial stakes of its absence particularly notable. BTS's fifth studio album, "Arirang," released in March following the members' return from South Korea's mandatory military service, debuted at No. A Shift in LeverageHye Jin Lee, a University of Southern California professor who studies Korean pop culture, has pointed to BTS's decision as evidence of a broader shift in the group's relationship with Western institutions.