'Anna,' 'Pachinko,' 'The Killer Shop' — OTT dramas flip the script and conquer living rooms

Original dramas once seen as the exclusive territory of online video service (OTT) platforms are making a rare backtrack and marching into the living-room TV market one after another. By pushing past the walled garden of paid subscribers and taking on terrestrial broadcasters and cable channels, they zero in on the general public’s remotes. Analysts say the move reflects broadcasters’ no-frills strategy: recycle proven intellectual property (IP) to ease production-cost burdens and erase scheduling gaps.

A return by well-made hits that volunteered to drive ratings

On the 23rd, MBC will air the Coupang Play original series 'Anna' (2022) as part of its regular programming, bringing it to viewers. The drama follows a woman whose small lies snowball into the theft of other people’s lives. The project previously pulled in a surge of platform users thanks to a striking acting transformation by lead actress and singer Suzy.

Earlier, MBC secured an advantage in the same-time ratings battle by giving special programming slots to 'Moving', Disney+’s Korean megahit, and 'Casino', starring Choi Min-sik, starting last year. Last month, the network showed off a flexible sense of scheduling by placing 'The Killer’s Shopping Mall Season 1' ahead of the release of Disney+’s new titles.

A relay of masterpieces that breaks borders, and the evolution of viewer choice

tvN’s moves are just as aggressive. From June through this month, it aired Apple TV+’s Korean original series 'Pachinko' seasons 1 and 2, capturing attention in living rooms nationwide. The series, which spotlights a sweeping saga of a Korean immigrant family spanning four generations, set a 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes in the United States immediately after its release, and it has gone on to dominate major global awards.

But tvN also spread its reach by pre-releasing on its affiliated platform, TVING, to schedule the thriller 'Dear X', starring Kim You-jung, after she tasted early success. It has also actively secured overseas original IP to quench domestic audiences’ thirst, including 'Marry My Husband: Japanese Version' on Amazon Prime Video last year and the U.S. drama 'Butterfly'.

The math behind 'safe betting,' and the remaining challenges

Industry experts say that beneath this coalition of players, each party’s carefully calibrated calculations are at play. Broadcasters cut both the odds of box-office hits going wrong and the astronomically high production costs while also safely plugging scheduling holes opened by issues involving lead actors or production delays. Meanwhile, OTT platforms and production companies are enjoying a well-earned virtuous cycle effect: they use TV airings as a springboard to extend the life of IP and draw viewers into subsequent seasons.

Gong Hee-jung, a drama critic, said, “From a broadcaster’s perspective, the content has already passed the market’s harsh validation, so confidence that it will at least not fail likely played a big role,” adding, “Production costs are exploding and the advertising market is in an icy period, and the once-solid barriers between platforms are breaking down.”

Still, due to the broad range of ages among viewers, controlling the level of intensity is cited as an essential prior task. Critic Gong said, “If OTT’s uniquely brutal violence or provocative depictions go straight to living rooms without filtering, side effects could be a concern,” and she stressed, “Precise broadcast re-edits that take into account the general-purpose nature of TV media must be carried out as well.”