Ever wonder how a country where terrestrial TV still reaches over 98% of households and the average person watches over 2.5 hours of television daily also manages to generate billions from streaming giants, live broadcasts, and global content exports? This blog post dives into the compelling statistics behind South Korea's 14.8 trillion KRW broadcasting industry, from its shifting advertising revenues and soaring OTT subscriptions to the enduring power of its public broadcasters and the rapid digital transformation reshaping where and how content is consumed.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the total revenue of South Korea's broadcasting industry was 14.8 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year
- The advertising revenue in South Korea's broadcasting sector reached 5.3 trillion KRW in 2023
- South Korea's pay-TV market generated 8.2 trillion KRW in subscription fees in 2022
- In 2023, average daily TV viewership in South Korea was 163 minutes per person for terrestrial channels
- KBS TV1 held 15.2% audience share in prime time slots during 2023
- SBS terrestrial TV viewership averaged 12.8% nationwide rating in 2022 evenings
- In 2023, MBC radio listenership averaged 1.2 million daily unique listeners
- KBS Radio 1 had 18.5% market share among radio audiences in 2022
- SBS Power FM peak listenership hit 2.8 million during drive time in 2023
- In 2023, OTT video consumption averaged 145 minutes daily per user in South Korea
- Netflix held 28.4% market share among OTT platforms in South Korea 2023
- Domestic OTT Wavve subscriber base reached 8.2 million in 2023
- In 2023, broadcasting industry employed 52,400 full-time workers in South Korea
- KBS workforce numbered 6,200 employees across TV and radio in 2023
- Regulatory compliance audits by KCC covered 145 broadcasters in 2022
South Korea's broadcasting industry grows steadily while shifting toward digital and OTT platforms.
Digital and Streaming
- In 2023, OTT video consumption averaged 145 minutes daily per user in South Korea
- Netflix held 28.4% market share among OTT platforms in South Korea 2023
- Domestic OTT Wavve subscriber base reached 8.2 million in 2023
- Tving OTT service reported 12.5 million monthly active users in Q4 2023
- YouTube video views from Korean broadcasters totaled 15 billion in 2022
- IPTV OTT hybrid usage grew 29% with 22 million subscribers in 2023
- Short-form video platforms like TikTok captured 35% of under-30 streaming time 2023
- 5G-enabled mobile broadcasting streams averaged 450 million monthly in 2023
- VOD content downloads hit 4.8 billion on domestic platforms in 2022
- Live streaming events on AfreecaTV drew 2.1 billion viewer hours 2023
- OTT subscription households reached 65.3% penetration rate in 2023
- Average monthly OTT spend per household was 18,500 KRW in 2023
- Chosun TV+ app users grew 41% to 3.4 million in 2023
- Multi-platform streaming sessions totaled 120 per month per user 2023
- Korean drama exports via OTT platforms generated 500 billion KRW in 2023
- 8K streaming trials reached 1.2 million test views in 2023 pilots
- Social media video consumption by broadcasters averaged 2.3 billion views monthly 2023
- VR/AR broadcasting experiments engaged 850,000 users in 2023
Digital and Streaming Interpretation
While Netflix lords over nearly a third of the market, South Korea’s own vibrant ecosystem of OTT platforms, hybrids, and viral short-form videos has the nation so deeply committed to streaming that the average citizen spends over two hours a day in the glow of a screen, proving that the future of broadcasting is a multi-platform, multi-session, and multi-billion-view obsession.
Employment and Regulation
- In 2023, broadcasting industry employed 52,400 full-time workers in South Korea
- KBS workforce numbered 6,200 employees across TV and radio in 2023
- Regulatory compliance audits by KCC covered 145 broadcasters in 2022
- Female representation in broadcasting management reached 28.5% in 2023
- Terrestrial broadcasters operated under 12 national licenses renewed in 2023
- Cable TV operators totaled 50 SOs with 18,000 affiliated staff in 2023
- KCC imposed fines totaling 2.3 billion KRW for violations in 2022
- Freelance content creators in broadcasting grew to 15,200 registered in 2023
- Public broadcasting license fee set at 2.5% of electricity bill, collecting from 25 million households 2023
- Foreign ownership cap in broadcasting at 20% per KCC rules 2023
- Annual training programs reached 8,500 industry workers via KOBA in 2023
- Diversity quota for regional content mandated 20% airtime minimum 2023
- IPTV providers licensed to 4 major operators serving 16 million subs 2023
- Labor union membership in broadcasting stood at 12,400 members in 2022
- 5G broadcasting spectrum allocation covered 28MHz bandwidth in 2023
- Content rating board reviewed 4,200 programs annually under KMRR 2023
- Emergency alert system compliance achieved 100% across 300+ stations 2023
- OTT regulation under revised Broadcasting Act effective Jan 2023
- Average salary in broadcasting industry was 68 million KRW annually in 2023
Employment and Regulation Interpretation
South Korea's broadcasting industry in 2023 was a tightly choreographed show: a cast of 52,400 full-timers and 15,200 freelancers performed under the watchful eye of 145 compliance audits and 2.3 billion KRW in fines, all while balancing 28.5% female leadership, a 20% foreign ownership cap, and the delicate art of collecting fees from 25 million slightly annoyed electricity bill payers.
Radio Listenership
- In 2023, MBC radio listenership averaged 1.2 million daily unique listeners
- KBS Radio 1 had 18.5% market share among radio audiences in 2022
- SBS Power FM peak listenership hit 2.8 million during drive time in 2023
- Total radio listening time per week was 9.4 hours per person in South Korea 2023
- FM radio stations captured 76.3% of total radio listenership in 2022
- Regional radio stations reached 15% of national listenership in 2023
- News radio programs averaged 25.1% share during morning slots 2023
- Music content dominated radio airtime at 58.7% in 2022
- Car radio listenership penetration at 82% among drivers in South Korea 2023
- Podcast integration boosted radio app users by 34% to 4.5 million in 2023
- Youth 18-29 radio listenership declined to 12% from 18% in 2020-2023
- Elderly radio listeners over 60 averaged 14.2 hours weekly in 2023
- Traffic info radio programs had 3.1 million daily listeners in urban areas 2023
- DAB digital radio adoption rate was 22.4% of radio households in 2023
- Total radio stations numbered 112 nationwide including affiliates in 2023
- Morning drive time slot captured 41% of daily radio listenership in 2022
- Women aged 30-49 represented 28% of total radio audience in 2023
- Radio listenership via smart speakers grew 52% to 1.8 million users 2023
Radio Listenership Interpretation
Even as South Korea's radio landscape remains robust, driven by captive car audiences and vital traffic updates, it faces a quiet generational shift, with podcasts and smart speakers offering a digital lifeline while youth increasingly tune out from the traditional airwaves.
Revenue and Market Size
- In 2022, the total revenue of South Korea's broadcasting industry was 14.8 trillion KRW, marking a 2.1% increase from the previous year
- The advertising revenue in South Korea's broadcasting sector reached 5.3 trillion KRW in 2023
- South Korea's pay-TV market generated 8.2 trillion KRW in subscription fees in 2022
- Broadcasting content production expenditure in South Korea totaled 3.1 trillion KRW in 2021
- The OTT platform revenue within South Korea's broadcasting ecosystem hit 1.9 trillion KRW in 2023
- Total broadcasting ad market share held by terrestrial TV was 42.5% in 2022, amounting to 2.8 trillion KRW
- Cable TV operators' revenue in South Korea was 4.1 trillion KRW in 2022
- IPTV service revenue reached 3.7 trillion KRW, representing 45% of pay-TV revenue in 2023
- Public broadcasters KBS and MBC combined revenue was 2.4 trillion KRW from license fees and ads in 2022
- Satellite broadcasting revenue contributed 0.8 trillion KRW to the industry in 2021
- Overall broadcasting market growth rate projected at 3.4% CAGR from 2023-2028
- Terrestrial TV revenue declined by 5.2% to 2.1 trillion KRW in 2023 amid digital shift
- Radio advertising revenue stood at 0.45 trillion KRW in 2022
- Total industry investment in 5G broadcasting tech was 0.6 trillion KRW in 2023
- Export revenue from Korean broadcasting content reached 0.9 trillion KRW in 2022
- Pay broadcasting market penetration rate at 85.3% of households in 2023
- Digital broadcasting revenue share increased to 28% of total in 2023
- Annual license fee collection for public broadcasting averaged 1.2 trillion KRW per year 2020-2023
- Cable TV ad revenue dropped 8.7% to 0.7 trillion KRW in 2023
- OTT ad revenue surged 45% to 0.4 trillion KRW in 2023
- In 2022, South Korea's broadcasting market size valued at USD 11.2 billion
- TV advertising spend per capita was 102,000 KRW in South Korea 2023
- The terrestrial broadcaster revenue forecast for 2024 is 2.0 trillion KRW
Revenue and Market Size Interpretation
While terrestrial TV’s crown may be slipping, South Korea's broadcasting empire, fueled by 85% household pay-TV penetration and a 45% surge in OTT ads, is shrewdly investing its 14.8 trillion won revenue into the content and digital pipelines that will rule its future.
Television Viewership
- In 2023, average daily TV viewership in South Korea was 163 minutes per person for terrestrial channels
- KBS TV1 held 15.2% audience share in prime time slots during 2023
- SBS terrestrial TV viewership averaged 12.8% nationwide rating in 2022 evenings
- MBC's drama viewership peaked at 18.5% for top programs in 2023 Q4
- Cable TV channel JTBC had 8.1% viewership share in urban areas 2023
- IPTV viewership hours totaled 45.2 billion in 2022 across households
- Terrestrial TV penetration rate at 98.7% of South Korean households in 2023
- Average prime time viewership for news programs was 10.4% in 2023
- TVN entertainment shows captured 9.7% share among 20-49 demographics in 2022
- Overall TV viewing time decreased 7.3% to 2.8 hours daily in 2023
- Regional terrestrial TV stations reached 4.2 million viewers daily in 2023
- Sports broadcasting on SBS drew 22.1% peak viewership for Olympics 2022
- Children under 12 TV viewership averaged 112 minutes daily in 2023
- Elderly over 65 group TV viewing time at 4.1 hours daily, highest demographic in 2023
- Drama genre held 32.4% of total TV viewership share in 2023
- Variety shows accounted for 28.6% viewership in prime time 2023
- Pay TV viewership share rose to 62% from terrestrial's 38% in 2023
- HD TV adoption rate reached 95.2% in broadcasting households 2023
- 4K UHD content viewership grew 18% year-over-year to 12 million hours in 2023
Television Viewership Interpretation
Despite Korean viewers spending less time glued to the box overall, their loyalty remains fierce, with terrestrial giants like KBS and MBC still commanding major prime-time drama and news audiences, even as pay-TV quietly captured the majority share and our elders officially became the nation's most dedicated couch potatoes.
Sources & References
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- Reference 17TVINGtving.comVisit source
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