SBS Plus' 'Real Men Travel in Kyushu' Gains Online Popularity Despite Low TV Ratings

While TV ratings remain low, online reactions are rapidly increasing. Despite ratings hovering around 0%, clips uploaded on YouTube immediately after the broadcast are gaining significant attention. This suggests that the strategy targeting viewers who prefer consuming clips over live broadcasts is working.

Premiering on the 21st, SBS Plus' 'Real Men Travel in Kyushu' features Kim Jong-kook, Choo Sung-hoon, and Daesung on a journey to Kyushu, Japan. The trio, who first connected on 'Family Outing' 17 years ago, reunited, creating buzz even before the show aired. True to its title, the show portrays a raw travel experience from the first episode.

In the episode, the trio devours a 1kg steak and endures a sauna with a perceived temperature of 100 degrees, focusing on primal entertainment. The highlight was the 'insect vending machine' mission at the end of the broadcast. Under the guise of a future food experience, the three faced larvae, scorpions, and giant water bugs, eliciting screams and groans. Even the usually fearless Choo Sung-hoon was terrified by the size of the giant water bug, and after much hesitation, Kim Jong-kook fed it to him, resulting in laughter.

Despite these efforts, the first episode's nationwide rating was 0.4%. Considering the channel's accessibility limitations, this is low compared to other popular variety shows. However, internally, the show received positive feedback. 'Real Men Travel' reported, "The peak minute rating soared to 0.9%, the highest among SBS Plus original programs launched this year." Given the constraints of a paid platform, the show has successfully secured a certain fixed audience.

Online traction is also strong. With the three cast members collectively having 7 million subscribers as major YouTubers, the influx to YouTube post-broadcast is significant. The official channel, already with 250,000 subscribers, quickly uploaded 20-minute clips, each rapidly gaining views upon release.

In fact, the program aligns more with YouTube's format than traditional TV. The production team enhances accessibility by editing the full broadcast into 20-minute segments for YouTube. The subtitles and editing style favor YouTube's speed and sharpness over TV's polished format. The popularity not captured by ratings is evident in the online clip views and real-time comments.

'Real Men Travel' made a savvy choice by prioritizing actual buzz over traditional ratings. By leveraging the cast's characters to present potentially provocative content, the show effectively bridges the gap between YouTube and TV. As 'Real Men Travel' captures early momentum through YouTube popularity, attention is on how it will build a solid fan base moving forward.

By Taeyuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr