IU, Byun Woo Seok: 21st Century Royal Couple?

MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'A Grand Prince of the 21st Century,' starring IU and Byun Woo-seok, is sailing smoothly, achieving rising viewership ratings and entry into global rankings. The drama holds significance in the OTT market, dominated by Netflix, as a domestic company has secured the IP (intellectual property), and it is garnering expectations for improved performance as MBC's 'tentpole drama.'

The broadcast of episode 8 recorded a peak viewership rating of 14.6% per minute, continuing its upward trend. Despite controversies regarding acting and historical accuracy raised by some, the drama is maintaining its popularity. The fantasy setting of a '​constitutional monarchy in the 21st century' and the chemistry of the lead actors are cited as keys to its success.

The drama is currently streaming on Disney+ and maintaining a global ranking of 4th to 5th place, while ranking first in numerous countries, including those in Central and South America. An MBC official praised its global competitiveness and sustained ranking, stating that it is unusual for a Korean drama with its own IP to remain in the rankings on Disney+ for such an extended period.

Notably, the fact that domestic IP was sold to Disney+ without being handed over to overseas platforms is drawing attention. The decision to choose Disney+ over Netflix is interpreted as a strategy prioritizing IP acquisition and challenging Netflix's dominance. The production cost for 'A Grand Prince of the 21st Century' is in the 30 billion won range.

Noh Chang-hee, head of the Digital Industry Policy Research Institute, highly praised the fact that IP was secured despite receiving investment from the platform, analyzing it as a rare case of increasing global recognition while retaining IP.