SBS secured the top spot in viewership ratings, vividly capturing South Korean badminton's historic golden moments at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games.
According to ratings research firm Nielsen Korea on September 30, SBS recorded a 3.8% household rating and a 0.9% rating in the key 20-49 demographic in the Seoul metropolitan area for its live broadcast of the badminton women's singles final featuring An Se-young the previous day. Surpassing MBC (1.8% household, 0.8% 20-49), KBS2 (1.8% household, 0.1% 20-49), and TV Chosun (0.4% household, 0.0% 20-49), SBS swept first place across all four key metrics: metropolitan households, nationwide households, metropolitan 20-49, and nationwide 20-49. Its coverage of the women's soccer semifinal, where the national team aimed for its first-ever final appearance, also ranked first in its time slot with a 2.8% metropolitan household rating, demonstrating the network's powerhouse reputation in sports broadcasting.
During the broadcast, the badminton women's doubles duo of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na captured an Asian Games gold medal for the first time in 24 years, followed by An Se-young becoming the first player in history to win back-to-back Asian Games women's singles titles. Sportscaster Bae Sung-jae remarked, "She is not an athlete representing an era, but an athlete creating an era," while commentator Lee Yong-dae marveled, "I really wonder how far the An Se-young era will go; it is truly incredible."
In weightlifting, Park Hye-jeong broke both the South Korean national record and the Asian Games record in the snatch with 133 kg and lifted a total of 300 kg to secure a valuable silver medal. Commentator Yoon Jin-hee offered encouragement, saying, "She has taken another step forward in her life."
Meanwhile, on September 30, the 11th day of the Games, SBS will continue its golden quest by broadcasting live coverage of major events, including the women's team and mixed team semifinals and finals in compound archery, the men's soccer semifinal, judo, wrestling, and diving.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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