Step into a media powerhouse where over 15 trillion won in annual revenue is just the beginning, as the Korean broadcasting industry drives global trends and technological innovation with every show it creates.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the South Korean broadcasting industry's total revenue amounted to 15.2 trillion KRW, reflecting a 4.8% year-over-year growth driven by advertising and content sales
- The market size of the Korean TV broadcasting sector was valued at 12.8 trillion KRW in 2023, with terrestrial broadcasters contributing 62% of the total
- Advertising revenue for Korean broadcasters reached 5.1 trillion KRW in 2022, up 7.2% from 2021 due to post-pandemic recovery
- In 2023, prime-time viewership for KBS1 averaged 12.5% nationwide ratings among 20-49 demographics
- SBS's top drama in 2022 achieved 18.7% ratings peak, watched by 28% of households
- MBC news viewership share was 35.2% in evenings during 2023
- In 2023, Korean broadcasters produced 1,250 hours of dramas, with 65% being K-dramas exported globally
- Variety shows production totaled 2,800 hours across major networks in 2022
- News programming hours reached 18,500 annually on terrestrial TV in 2023
- In 2023, Netflix invested 1 trillion KRW in Korean OTT production, partnering with local broadcasters
- Wavve had 6.5 million paid subscribers in Korea by end-2023
- Tving platform streamed 1.8 billion hours of content in 2022
- Korean broadcasting industry employed 52,000 full-time workers in 2023
- Freelance content creators numbered 28,500 in broadcasting sector 2022
- Female representation in executive roles at 32% among major broadcasters in 2023
The Korean broadcasting industry grew robustly in 2022, fueled by strong advertising and global content exports.
Content Production
- In 2023, Korean broadcasters produced 1,250 hours of dramas, with 65% being K-dramas exported globally
- Variety shows production totaled 2,800 hours across major networks in 2022
- News programming hours reached 18,500 annually on terrestrial TV in 2023
- KBS invested 1.2 trillion KRW in original content production in 2022
- SBS produced 450 episodes of reality TV in 2023, focusing on survival formats
- Documentary content output was 950 hours industry-wide in 2022
- Music shows broadcast 1,100 hours yearly, with Mnet leading at 40%
- Educational programs for EBS totaled 5,200 hours in 2023
- Cable channels produced 12,000 hours of entertainment in 2022
- Drama scripts localized for 15 languages from Korean originals in 2023
- JTBC greenlit 28 new series in 2023, averaging 16 episodes each
- Animation co-productions with broadcasters hit 650 hours in 2022
- Sports content live broadcasts covered 2,500 events in 2023
- Public service announcements production was 450 hours annually
- Remakes of classic dramas totaled 12 titles in 2022
- Interactive content pilots produced 150 hours for smart TVs in 2023
- Overseas co-productions accounted for 18% of drama budgets in 2022
- Children's programming hours grew 12% to 1,800 in 2023
- Talk shows output reached 950 episodes industry-wide in 2022
- Historical sageuk dramas produced 320 hours in 2023
- User-generated content integrations in broadcasts totaled 200 hours
- Film-to-TV adaptations numbered 25 in 2022
- Regional dialect content production increased 25% to 300 hours in 2023
- VR content experiments by broadcasters totaled 50 hours in 2022
- Game shows production hit 650 episodes in 2023
- Multi-camera drama shoots averaged 45 cameras per major production in 2022
- Subtitle teams for exports handled 5,000 hours of content in 2023
- Eco-themed documentaries produced 120 titles in 2022
- Idol survival programs totaled 15 seasons in 2023
- AI-assisted scriptwriting used in 20% of new dramas in 2023
- OTT exclusive content from broadcasters reached 800 hours in 2022
Content Production Interpretation
Korean broadcasters have mastered the art of world domination one K-drama at a time, while simultaneously running a non-stop news cycle, greenlighting enough survival shows to exhaust a Marine battalion, and investing so heavily in content that the robots are now writing the scripts and the subtitles need their own subtitles.
Digital Broadcasting and OTT
- In 2023, Netflix invested 1 trillion KRW in Korean OTT production, partnering with local broadcasters
- Wavve had 6.5 million paid subscribers in Korea by end-2023
- Tving platform streamed 1.8 billion hours of content in 2022
- 4K UHD broadcasting coverage reached 85% of households via IPTV in 2023
- YouTube TV clips from Korean broadcasters garnered 50 billion views in 2023
- ATSC 3.0 next-gen TV trials covered 10 million homes in 2022
- Mobile TV app downloads exceeded 30 million for major networks in 2023
- Disney+ Korea subscriber growth hit 2 million new users in 2023
- VOD market share for domestic OTT platforms was 42% in 2022
- 5G-enabled live streaming events drew 15 million concurrent viewers in 2023
- Catch-up TV usage averaged 45 minutes daily per user in 2022
- Hybrid broadcast-broadband (HBB) TV adoption at 62% in urban areas 2023
- TikTok short-form clips from TV shows reached 10 billion views in Korea 2022
- Cloud-based production workflows used in 35% of dramas in 2023
- Smart speaker integration for radio podcasts hit 5 million users in 2022
- Blockchain for content rights management piloted on 50 titles in 2023
- Live commerce streams via broadcaster apps generated 500 billion KRW in 2022
- HDR content broadcast hours exceeded 2,000 on major channels in 2023
- Metaverse virtual concerts by Mnet drew 1 million attendees in 2022
- Personalized recommendation accuracy at 78% on domestic OTT in 2023
- Wi-Fi 6 deployment in broadcast studios covered 90% of facilities by 2022
- Social TV engagement metrics showed 25 million interactions per major drama finale in 2023
- Edge computing reduced latency to under 2 seconds for live OTT streams in 2022
- AR overlays in sports broadcasts used in 120 events in 2023
- NFT collectibles from TV series sold 100,000 units in 2022
- Voice search for content discovery used by 40% of OTT users in 2023
- Multi-view streaming options available on 70% of sports channels apps in 2022
- Data broadcasting interactive polls reached 8 million responses in 2023 elections
Digital Broadcasting and OTT Interpretation
While Netflix throws a trillion-won party with local broadcasters, Korean viewers are busy creating a dizzyingly high-tech media landscape where every possible screen, format, and interaction—from 4K IPTV to TikTok clips, blockchain rights, and metaverse concerts—is being voraciously consumed, redefining what it means to watch TV in an era of fragmented yet deeply engaged audiences.
Industry Employment and Structure
- Korean broadcasting industry employed 52,000 full-time workers in 2023
- Freelance content creators numbered 28,500 in broadcasting sector 2022
- Female representation in executive roles at 32% among major broadcasters in 2023
- Average annual salary for TV producers was 85 million KRW in 2022
- KBS workforce totaled 6,200 employees in 2023
- Union membership covered 45% of broadcasting staff in 2022
- Under-30 employees made up 18% of industry total in 2023
- Technical staff accounted for 25% of total employment in 2022
- MBC had 3,800 staff in creative departments in 2023
- Outsourcing rate for production reached 55% industry-wide in 2022
- Diversity training programs covered 12,000 employees in 2023
- Regional broadcasting stations employed 4,500 locals in 2022
- Actor guild members affiliated with broadcasters numbered 15,000 in 2023
- Turnover rate averaged 9.2% in broadcasting firms 2022
- Overseas branch staff totaled 450 for major networks in 2023
- Internships offered to 5,200 students annually in 2022
- Gender pay gap narrowed to 12% in production roles 2023
- Cable TV companies employed 18,000 in sales and ops in 2022
- Leadership roles by age under 50 at 28% in 2023
- Skill certification holders in broadcasting reached 22,000 in 2022
- Part-time contract workers 32% of total workforce in 2023
- Mentorship programs paired 3,000 juniors with seniors in 2022
- Foreign talent visas issued 1,200 for content roles in 2023
- Remote work adoption post-COVID at 42% for admin staff 2022
- Pension coverage for freelancers expanded to 8,500 in 2023
- Board diversity with 22% non-executives in public broadcasters 2022
- Overtime hours averaged 180 annually per creative staff in 2023
- Youth employment quota met at 15% for new hires in 2022
- Women in directing roles increased to 19% in 2023 dramas
- Total contractors for events and field production 12,000 in 2022
Industry Employment and Structure Interpretation
The Korean broadcasting industry in 2023, while still a fortress of stability and tradition with 52,000 full-time staff and a powerful union presence, is also a fragmented, hustling landscape where more than half the work is outsourced, over a third of the workforce is on part-time contracts, and a 12% gender pay gap stubbornly lingers amidst slow gains in female and youth representation.
Revenue and Market Size
- In 2022, the South Korean broadcasting industry's total revenue amounted to 15.2 trillion KRW, reflecting a 4.8% year-over-year growth driven by advertising and content sales
- The market size of the Korean TV broadcasting sector was valued at 12.8 trillion KRW in 2023, with terrestrial broadcasters contributing 62% of the total
- Advertising revenue for Korean broadcasters reached 5.1 trillion KRW in 2022, up 7.2% from 2021 due to post-pandemic recovery
- KBS's annual revenue in 2022 stood at 6.4 trillion KRW, primarily from receiving fees and commercial ads
- SBS Media Holdings reported 2.9 trillion KRW in revenue for 2023, with 45% from content exports
- Cable TV operators in Korea generated 3.7 trillion KRW in 2022, accounting for 24% of the total broadcasting market
- The OTT platform revenue within Korean broadcasting ecosystem hit 1.2 trillion KRW in 2023, growing 28% YoY
- MBC's revenue grew to 1.8 trillion KRW in 2022, boosted by drama exports to Asia
- Total content production budget for Korean broadcasters was 4.5 trillion KRW in 2023, representing 30% of industry revenue
- Pay TV subscription fees contributed 2.3 trillion KRW to the industry in 2022
- Korean broadcasting exports earned 12.4 billion USD in 2022, with dramas leading at 70%
- Terrestrial TV ad spend in Korea was 3.2 trillion KRW in 2023, down 2% due to digital shift
- Radio broadcasting revenue totaled 0.45 trillion KRW in 2022, stable from prior year
- IPTV services generated 1.9 trillion KRW in 2023 for Korean firms
- Overall Korean media and entertainment market, including broadcasting, reached 40 trillion KRW in 2022
- CJ ENM's TV and film revenue was 4.1 trillion KRW in 2022
- Broadcasting license fees for public broadcasters collected 1.1 trillion KRW in 2023
- Digital ad revenue in broadcasting apps hit 0.8 trillion KRW in 2022
- Total industry profit margin averaged 8.2% in 2023 for major Korean broadcasters
- Satellite broadcasting revenue was 0.6 trillion KRW in 2022
- Content licensing deals brought 2.5 trillion KRW to Korean broadcasters in 2023
- Annual growth rate of broadcasting market projected at 3.5% CAGR to 2027, reaching 18 trillion KRW
- Major broadcasters' combined EBITDA was 1.7 trillion KRW in 2022
- Ancillary revenue from events and merchandising added 0.3 trillion KRW in 2023
- Foreign investment in Korean broadcasting content reached 1.5 trillion KRW in 2022
- Tax revenue from broadcasting industry totaled 1.2 trillion KRW in 2023
- Streaming rights sales for K-dramas generated 0.9 trillion KRW in 2022
- Public funding for broadcasting R&D was 0.4 trillion KRW in 2023
- E-commerce tied to broadcasts earned 0.2 trillion KRW in 2022
- Projected 2024 broadcasting revenue at 16.1 trillion KRW with 5.1% growth
Revenue and Market Size Interpretation
While the traditional giants of terrestrial TV still anchor the Korean broadcasting market with a respectable 62% share, the industry's future growth is increasingly fueled by its unstoppable global content exports and the vibrant, if smaller, upstarts in OTT and digital spaces.
Viewership and Ratings
- In 2023, prime-time viewership for KBS1 averaged 12.5% nationwide ratings among 20-49 demographics
- SBS's top drama in 2022 achieved 18.7% ratings peak, watched by 28% of households
- MBC news viewership share was 35.2% in evenings during 2023
- Average daily TV viewership in Korea was 3 hours 12 minutes per person in 2022, down 8% YoY
- Netflix Korea's top K-content reached 15.2 million global views in first week of 2023
- JTBC's variety show average rating 7.8% in 2023 among urban viewers
- Terrestrial TV captured 45.6% of total video viewership in 2022
- KBS2 primetime slot averaged 10.3% ratings in 2023
- Cable TV viewership grew 4% to 22.3 million subscribers in 2023
- YouTube Korea monthly active users from broadcasting channels hit 45 million in 2022
- tvN's flagship series peaked at 21.4% ratings in 2023, highest for cable
- Radio listenership averaged 1 hour 45 minutes daily in 2022
- OTT platforms overtook linear TV with 52% viewership share in 2023 among under-30s
- EBS educational channel reached 8.2 million monthly viewers in 2022
- Sports broadcasting viewership for Olympics on SBS hit 15.6 million unique viewers in 2022
- Average household TV usage was 7.2 hours per day in Korea 2023
- Disney+ Korea content averaged 12 million weekly streams in 2023
- News channel YTN had 28% market share in 2022 evenings
- Viki platform K-drama views totaled 2.5 billion in 2023 from Korean originals
- IPTV viewership hours increased 15% to 4.2 billion hours in 2022
- Children under 12 TV viewership dropped 22% in 2023 due to mobiles
- Prime news ratings for KBS averaged 25.1% in 2023 elections
- Wavve platform monthly views reached 1.2 billion in 2023
- 40-69 age group TV loyalty at 68% weekly viewership in 2022
- Chuseok special programs drew 32 million viewers across networks in 2023
- Podcast consumption from broadcasters grew 35% to 150 million downloads in 2023
- Lunar New Year dramas averaged 14.8% ratings on MBC in 2023
- Smart TV penetration enabled 78% of households to access ratings-tracked content in 2022
Viewership and Ratings Interpretation
While traditional broadcasters cling to their loyal, aging audiences like a comforting but slightly frayed blanket, the cold, hard data shows Korea's entertainment heart is now beating online, with streaming platforms devouring the future one billion-view series at a time.
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