SBS Dominates Second Half of the Year with a 100% Hit Rate in New Variety Shows

SBS has once again proven its prowess as a powerhouse of variety entertainment, with its newly launched lineup in the second half of the year consistently achieving high viewership ratings and generating significant buzz.

The reality show 'Hang-tang Project - My Turn,' which premiered in August, showcased the essence of 'B-grade sensibility' reality programming. It garnered over 10 million online views even before its first broadcast and created a phenomenon by maintaining a spot in the Netflix TOP 10 for an unprecedented seven consecutive weeks, a first for an SBS variety program.

'Island Villager Hero,' featuring singer Lim Young-woong, also captivated audiences, reaching a peak viewership rating of 6.7% per minute and concluding its run as the No. 1 variety show in its time slot.

Building on this momentum, SBS has continued to lead the variety content landscape with the launch of 'Our Ballad,' the first-ever ballad audition program, and 'My Manager Is Too Cantankerous - Secretary Jin' (referred to as 'Secretary Jin'), a close-care road talk show.

'Our Ballad' immediately claimed the top spot as the No. 1 Tuesday variety show upon its premiere, boasting impressive viewership and buzz. On television, it achieved a 2.5% rating for the 2049 demographic, securing the No. 1 position for six consecutive weeks. Furthermore, it set an unparalleled record by surpassing 100 million cumulative views across major online platforms. On OTT services, it entered the Netflix TOP 10 in Korea for five consecutive weeks, reaching a peak position of second place and dominating all platforms.

The immense popularity of 'Our Ballad' has naturally led to increased public interest in its contestants. According to 'Funder,' the official platform of buzz analysis firm Good Day Corporation, participants like Lee Ye-ji, Lee Ji-hoon, Song Ji-woo, and Hong Seung-min were listed in the weekly issue keywords' TOP 10 within just one week of the broadcast. Clips and direct camera footage of key contestants such as Lee Ye-ji and Choi Eun-bin have surpassed 5 million cumulative views on YouTube alone, solidifying the notion that 'It's the Ballad Era.' The show has established itself as a 'generation-spanning emotional audition' program that resonates with audiences of all ages, and its continued success is highly anticipated.

Meanwhile, 'Secretary Jin,' newly scheduled for Friday late nights, has also emerged as a trending variety show. Despite being a new program, it recorded a peak viewership rating of 1.5% for the 2049 demographic and 6.7% per minute from its very first episode. The show is praised for the fresh entertainment delivered by the unexpected pairing of Lee Seo-jin and Kim Gwang-gyu, along with the unpredictable chemistry with guest assistants. The initial episode featured comedian Lee Soo-ji assigning 'broth-serving duties' to Lee Seo-jin, while guest Sun Woo Yong-nyeo in the third episode elicited laughter with her one-sided favoritism towards Lee Seo-jin.

In the recently aired fourth episode, Lee Seo-jin and Kim Gwang-gyu even made a special guest appearance in SBS's Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Why Did You Kiss Me!', showcasing their versatile 'assistant' roles through a bromance storyline. As the assistant chemistry in 'Secretary Jin' becomes increasingly prominent with each episode, the show has also achieved a peak position of second place in the Netflix TOP 10 in Korea and surpassed 28 million cumulative views on digital platforms within just four episodes, signaling strong potential for future growth.

With 'My Turn,' 'Our Ballad,' and 'Secretary Jin' all proving to be hits, SBS has achieved a 100% success rate with its variety show offerings in the second half of the year. The network is set to release a new season of 'If Time Permits' in December.

Korean netizens are reacting enthusiastically, with comments like 'SBS's variety lineup is truly amazing,' 'The shows worth watching these days are all on SBS,' and 'I really look forward to 'Our Ballad' every week. The songs are so good!'