During the Olympics season, the three major terrestrial broadcasters in South Korea, KBS, SBS, and MBC, made the decision to cancel all of their regularly scheduled dramas and entertainment programs in order to broadcast live sports events. This was due to the fact that many of the competitions were scheduled to take place during the late night or early morning hours, as there was an 8-hour time difference between France and Korea. Despite the high costs of securing the rights to broadcast these events, the ratings for the opening ceremony were disappointing for all three broadcasters. KBS saw a 1.4% rating, while MBC and SBS received 1.0% and 0.6% respectively.
Despite the opening ceremony taking place at 2 a.m. in Korean time, the 0% rating was still considered shocking due to the low ratings that were expected. With the unexpected elimination of the Korean soccer team in the preliminary round and the exclusion of baseball from the Paris Olympics, the public’s interest in the sports event had significantly decreased, resulting in low viewership.
In addition, the decrease in television viewership and the shift towards online viewing platforms can also be attributed to the decline in ratings. Wavve, one of the OTT services, has obtained the broadcasting rights to the Olympics and is currently offering live broadcasts as well as other sports content such as highlight videos. This was evident on July 29th, during the women’s archery final, when the number of simultaneous live channel accesses on Wavve, including KBS1, KBS2, MBC, and SBS, increased by 5.2 times compared to the previous month of June.
Despite the three-week broadcast suspension for the Olympics, many in the drama industry are concerned that the rising popularity of certain dramas may be affected. SBS’s “Good Partner”is especially feared to be the most affected.
“”Good Partner”is a legal office drama that follows the story of Cha Eun-kyung (Jang Na-ra), a renowned lawyer known for her expertise in handling divorce cases, and Han Yu-ri (Nam Ji-hyun), a new lawyer who takes on her first divorce case. After a three-year hiatus, Jang Na-ra makes her comeback to terrestrial dramas, joined by a talented cast including Nam Ji-hyun, Kim Jun-han, and P.O. The show’s gripping plot has captivated viewers, resulting in a high rating of 13.7% after four episodes. However, due to the Paris Olympics, the airing of “Good Partner”has been temporarily suspended after episode 5.
When it comes to variety shows, continuity is not crucial. As a result, extended breaks do not significantly affect the flow or drastically decrease viewership. However, for dramas, the importance of clear beginnings, developments, climaxes, and conclusions cannot be underestimated. The success or failure of a drama can be heavily influenced by word-of-mouth and momentum.
The main concern is whether Jang Na-ra’s drama “Good Partner”will be able to maintain its 20% ratings even after being put on hold for three weeks due to the Olympics.
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