May 29, 2025
SEOUL – Today, a show’s failure to achieve high ratings on TV does not mean failure. Increasingly, content is experiencing a divide between streaming success and traditional broadcast viewership.
As of Wednesday, “Tastefully Yours,” a romantic comedy headlined by Korean stars Go Min-si and Kang Ha-neul, has soared to No. 2 on Netflix’s global Top 10 non-English TV series.
The series also clinched the fourth spot on the streamer’s Korea rankings for the top 10 most-watched series.
Despite its streaming momentum, the series is struggling to gain traction on linear television.
“Tastefully Yours” posted a 3.4 percent viewership rating on TV, trailing behind dramas such as “Heavenly Ever After” and “The Haunted Palace,” which pull in a solid 8 to 10 percent in ratings on average.
“Tastefully Yours” is one of many Korean shows to post significantly different viewership numbers on television and streaming platforms.
A notable example is KBS’ variety show “Beat Coin,” which initially saw viewership ratings hover around the 1 percent mark during conventional airing. But when a retooled version was released on streaming platform Wavve, the show exploded in popularity, dominating KBS’ non-drama category for 28 consecutive weeks between May 8 and Nov. 13, 2023.
The rebooted show also ranked No. 1 on Netflix Korea’s Top 10 series chart two days after its release.
The disconnect between success on linear TV and streaming platforms is largely attributed to demographic distribution among the two media.
Viewers of traditional broadcasts are older, while those middle-aged and younger are rapidly shifting to digital platforms. The gap between success in TV and streaming platforms becomes even more pronounced when the content resonates with global youth audiences, as is often the case with Netflix.
“Success on Netflix is now generally seen as being more important than high TV ratings,” said an industry official from a local drama production studio, speaking on condition of anonymity. “With success in the streaming space becoming more and more important, from the development stage, we are focusing on creating globally accessible storytelling by incorporating elements such as easily translatable dialogue and editing styles optimized for binge-watching.”
With content enjoying longer lifespans thanks to streaming and viral short-form clips, he said producers are now prioritizing long-term potential rather than overnight success, shifting away from focusing solely on a show’s performance during its initial television run. “Even if a series underperforms on broadcast, it can find new life elsewhere. The traditional formula for measuring a content’s success has long changed,” he said.
Yet, concerns are mounting that the dominance of major streaming platforms, particularly Netflix, could skew creative direction and lead to monopolistic practices in the content industry. The streamer recently raised its subscription fees in Korea, with the ad-supported tier jumping from 5,500 won ($4) to 7,000 won and the basic plan increasing from 9,500 won to 12,000 won.