TV
Mnet's 'Stage Fighter' Gains Momentum with Rising Popularity of Korean Dance
'Stage Fighter' (hereafter referred to as 'Stepa') has achieved its highest viewership rating of 1.4% (AGB Nielsen Seoul Metropolitan Area paid households) in just three episodes, fueled by strong word-of-mouth. The show has consistently shown an upward trend in ratings since its premiere, which is encouraging. Notably, it ranked first in the 1539 target demographic ratings across all channels, including terrestrial, and also topped the 2049 male and female ratings in the same time slot across general programming and paid channels, capturing the hearts of viewers.
The OTT platform performance is also noteworthy. 'Stepa' continues to lead in real-time viewing share among all live channels on the OTT platform TVING, with the second episode reaching a peak of 71%, proving its popularity. Additionally, dance videos featuring dancers from various genres have quickly become a hot topic following the broadcast. Among them, the full version of the Korean dance film 'The King's Wish: Peaceful Reign,' released in the third episode, entered YouTube's trending videos at number nine within a day, garnering significant attention.
The third episode, which marked the highest viewership, featured a rank determination battle to select the lead roles for genre-specific dance films. In a series of twists, the Korean dance film saw Kim Moo-gan, Choi Ho-jong, and Kim Jong-chul secure the first rank, being chosen as the lead roles for the Korean dance film. However, the surprises didn't end there. A hidden mission was revealed, requiring competition even among those of the same rank. After a fierce casting audition, Kim Moo-gan clinched the main lead role, and the release of the Korean dance film of unprecedented scale sent viewers' dopamine levels soaring.
With the release of the Korean dance film, 'Stepa' is experiencing a significant boost in momentum. Viewers have shown a keen interest in Korean dance, expressing reactions such as "The dancers seem destined for Korean dance just by their names," "Hip, cool, and all-encompassing," and "I'm completely immersed in Korean dance." A fandom is already forming around the Korean dancers, who not only have distinct characters but also exceptional skills. Furthermore, the Korean dance film that entered the trending video rankings received numerous comments such as "Korean dance nailed it," "Curious about Choi Ho-jong's king version," "Kim Moo-gan and the music are a perfect match," "The group dance is the highlight," and "Hope Korean dance gains more popularity," proving the interest.
With the Korean dance film exceeding expectations, curiosity and interest are growing for the ballet and contemporary dance films to be unveiled in the upcoming fourth episode on the 15th. There is considerable anticipation for the casting auditions that will determine the main and supporting roles, as well as the process of creating the dance films.
'Stage Fighter' will air its fourth episode on the 15th at 10 PM.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr
