Korean TV dramas are about to be cornered! Due to lack of production funds, many scripts have been cut off, and dramas about water, wood, and metal are about to become history.

(Cover image source: Netflix “Dark Glory”, tvN “Shining Watermelon”)

With the rise of OTT TV series, TVB TV series have been hit hard.

While Korean dramas such as “Moving”and “Squid Game”are loved by people around the world, many wireless stations are currently suspending the production of dramas and starting to broadcast variety shows, documentaries and other programs during relevant periods.

Currently, KBS TV station does not broadcast dramas on Wednesdays and Thursdays, but only broadcasts daily dramas, moon fire dramas (dramas broadcast on Mondays and Tuesdays) and weekend dramas. MBC has also reduced the MBC drama series (dramas aired on Wednesdays and Thursdays) to Wednesday dramas. SBS, on the other hand, only shows dramas on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It is very different from the situation in the past when moon-fire dramas, water-wood dramas, weekend dramas, daily dramas and morning dramas were broadcast at the same time slot. It is very depressed. According to industry insiders, there are still many TV series whose successors are still uncertain. In other words, there are not that many works that can be broadcast in succession.

In recent years, although Korean dramas have been loved overseas, they have not been able to alleviate the difficulties of wireless stations. The fundamental reason why major wireless stations have reduced the production of drama series is that compared with the high cost of investment, the ratings of TV dramas are low and they are unable to make profits. The ratings of the currently aired dramas are almost all miserable, staying in single digits.

With the expansion of the OTT market, competition among TV stations has turned into competition with OTTs, and performance has gradually declined. The production costs of OTT series are quite high, and they are also willing to challenge novel themes that are difficult to see in TVB works, which brings a strong sense of freshness. Therefore, wireless stations have gradually lost their competitiveness in the competition with OTT.

Industry insiders also revealed that dramas broadcast on TV are subject to censorship restrictions, and it is not easy to show smoking, drinking, violence, foul language, etc., but there is a higher degree of freedom on OTT, so it is easier for viewers to get involved.

In addition, due to TV stations cutting production budgets and financial deterioration, program schedules have gradually decreased, and the content available to viewers has dropped sharply, so they also tend to turn to OTT platforms.