Internet-based dramas will grow to a major broadcasting genre in five years as people prefer watching shows on smartphones in South Korea, one of the most wired countries in the world, industry experts said Tuesday.
Major television networks such as KBS, MBC and SBS have recently released many new Web-based series in a desperate effort to build up a new market for their contents.
Such dramas consist of eight to 16 episodes with a length of 10 to 20 minutes each and are available only on the Internet. Some cast A-list stars, mostly members of popular K-pop bands such as TVXQ, FTISLAND, EXO and 2NE1, to draw attention of K-pop fans around the world.
"We began producing Web dramas to open a new market of our content at a situation when young people don't watch TV too much," said Lee Young-min, a director of the Sim Entertainment that produced "Prince of Prince," a 10-episode series that ended up broadcasting on Naver's LINE TV and the national broadcaster KBS on Sunday. "I see the Web drama market will secure a place in five years and that paid-service will become possible. An age where people are familiar with consuming short videos will come."
Yoon Mi-jin, a producer of MBC Everyone's "Girl of 0AM," forecast that Internet-based dramas may change the way of producing and consuming TV dramas.
"We can't make people just sit in front of a TV set and watch their favorite dramas. A mobile age has come," Yoon said.
"Major TV networks may gradually alter to a new method of launching their dramas on the Internet on a trial basis and running only popular shows on TV."
The two series have attracted 1 million and 2.55 million views in total, respectively. A series that drew an accumulated 1 million viewers for two to three weeks is considered a success in the Web drama market.
Last month, "EXO Next Door," a 16-episode series starring members of one of the hottest K-pop boy bands EXO, ended broadcasting on Naver's video-streaming services in South Korea and seven other Asian countries, setting a record as a most-viewed local Web drama. A co-production of S.M. Entertainment that manages EXO and Naver's mobile messenger app LINE, the series garnered 50 million views in total.
CJ E&M released a re-produced film version of the drama to the 68th Cannes Film Market that recently closed and reportedly received a flood of offers from overseas buyers.
Still, without a profit model, most of Internet-based dramas barely cover their production costs, which usually hover around 200 million won (US$181,241), through company sponsorships or support from government agencies and advertisements.
Production companies are now turning their eyes to overseas markets.
According to Sim Entertainment, the video-on-demand service for "Prince of Prince" will soon become available in 10 other Asian countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia, both on the Internet and mobile.
It will also go into service for American watchers on Viki, a global TV site used by some 40 million people in 200 countries around the world a month, the company said. (Yonhap)
Major television networks such as KBS, MBC and SBS have recently released many new Web-based series in a desperate effort to build up a new market for their contents.
Such dramas consist of eight to 16 episodes with a length of 10 to 20 minutes each and are available only on the Internet. Some cast A-list stars, mostly members of popular K-pop bands such as TVXQ, FTISLAND, EXO and 2NE1, to draw attention of K-pop fans around the world.
"We began producing Web dramas to open a new market of our content at a situation when young people don't watch TV too much," said Lee Young-min, a director of the Sim Entertainment that produced "Prince of Prince," a 10-episode series that ended up broadcasting on Naver's LINE TV and the national broadcaster KBS on Sunday. "I see the Web drama market will secure a place in five years and that paid-service will become possible. An age where people are familiar with consuming short videos will come."
Yoon Mi-jin, a producer of MBC Everyone's "Girl of 0AM," forecast that Internet-based dramas may change the way of producing and consuming TV dramas.
"We can't make people just sit in front of a TV set and watch their favorite dramas. A mobile age has come," Yoon said.
"Major TV networks may gradually alter to a new method of launching their dramas on the Internet on a trial basis and running only popular shows on TV."
The two series have attracted 1 million and 2.55 million views in total, respectively. A series that drew an accumulated 1 million viewers for two to three weeks is considered a success in the Web drama market.
Last month, "EXO Next Door," a 16-episode series starring members of one of the hottest K-pop boy bands EXO, ended broadcasting on Naver's video-streaming services in South Korea and seven other Asian countries, setting a record as a most-viewed local Web drama. A co-production of S.M. Entertainment that manages EXO and Naver's mobile messenger app LINE, the series garnered 50 million views in total.
CJ E&M released a re-produced film version of the drama to the 68th Cannes Film Market that recently closed and reportedly received a flood of offers from overseas buyers.
Still, without a profit model, most of Internet-based dramas barely cover their production costs, which usually hover around 200 million won (US$181,241), through company sponsorships or support from government agencies and advertisements.
Production companies are now turning their eyes to overseas markets.
According to Sim Entertainment, the video-on-demand service for "Prince of Prince" will soon become available in 10 other Asian countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia, both on the Internet and mobile.
It will also go into service for American watchers on Viki, a global TV site used by some 40 million people in 200 countries around the world a month, the company said. (Yonhap)
