Rookie Talent Agent Knows It All-Chapter 541: Preview Battle (3)

"Hwaranjeon's first preview, minute one viewership ratings is 12.5%! It's a tie."

Since episode 23 of MBS' My Way Sisters ended with a viewership ratings of 15.4%, the expected viewership ratings for Hwaranjeon's preview had been 7.7%, which was about half. However, it scored a whopping 4.8% higher than expected.

Casting Yoo-Jin and Miso as field reporters had been a stroke of genius.

At that moment, Ahn Soo-Jin, the youngest member of the directing team, couldn't hold back her excitement and let out a cheer. "Doesn't this mean most viewers kept watching? This is huge!"

The other staff nodded in agreement, but Oh Bok-Hee didn't relax. "It's only been one minute. Let's wait a bit longer."

Now, what mattered was whether viewers would stay until the end of the preview. Unlike full episodes, which tended to gain momentum over time, previews usually saw a drop in viewership ratings as they went on.

While we were caught up in all the buzz, on-screen, Yoo-Jin and Miso were holding hands and playfully exploring the Hwaranjeon set. In the footage, Miso spotted Song Ji-Hwan sitting on the palace throne and walked over, placing both hands to her forehead and bowing slightly. Her neatly braided hair swung forward and pointed downward.

『Your Majesty! I'm here!』

Holding the mic, Miso acted her part, and Song Ji-Hwan responded in a charismatic tone to match her performance.

『Oh~ my, my dear Princess Yu-Hwa. What brings you here today?』

As the two performed a father-daughter dynamic, Yoo-Jin, standing behind them, picked up her mic and offered commentary.

『This is actor Song Ji-Hwan, playing the role of Silla's King Eumgalmun in this production. Right now, he's acting out a reunion scene with young Princess Yu-Hwa. Shall we go over for an interview?』

Yoo-Jin addressed the viewers like a proper reporter, then hurried over to Miso's side. She extended the mic toward Song Ji-Hwan.

『Please introduce yourself.』

Song Ji-Hwan, playing coy, placed his index finger against the mic.

『Ahem. And what manner of strange contraption might this be?』

Yoo-Jin instantly clapped her hands together like a slate marker.

『Cut! Mr. Song Ji-Hwan, please come back to reality and do the interview. The viewers are waiting!』

Laughing, Song Ji-Hwan softened his tone and began his introduction in a more natural voice.

『Haha, got it, Miss Yoo-Jin. Hello, viewers. I'm Song Ji-Hwan. It's been a while since I've done a historical drama, and I'm honestly a little nervous. Please give Hwaranjeon lots of love.』

Song Ji-Hwan's calm voice echoed through the grand palace hall as he continued his introduction. From there, Yoo-Jin and Miso continued roaming the set, alternating between acting out scenes and conducting interviews to draw viewers deeper into the world of the show. It was a ton of work for both of them, but it was clearly paying off.

Then, the youngest member of the directing team spoke up. "But what if... the viewership ratings actually go up?"

"Hey, don't jinx it. It's not even the main broadcast. No way a preview's ratings go up. That doesn't happen."

Everyone was hopeful, but they knew it was unlikely. After all, while full episodes tended to build momentum and grow in viewership ratings, previews usually trended in the opposite direction. By now, viewers who had just finished watching Fox Marble and My Way Sisters were starting to drift away from their TVs.

Since it was common for viewership ratings to be cut in half within just a minute, all the staff were getting curious about how much the ratings had dropped.

Ding!

Then, Oh Bok-Hee checked the third-minute update and announced the numbers with an excited voice.

"Hwaranjeon, minute three—viewership ratings of 12.5%! Holding steady!"

Ding!

"Queen Jeong-Hee, minute three—viewership ratings of 12.1%! They dropped by 0.4%!"

Everyone around her widened their eyes in surprise. Despite being just a preview, the viewership ratings weren't falling but viewers were staying put. It was a phenomenal start.

'We're off to a good start.'

Even after eight minutes had passed, Hwaranjeon's first preview maintained a viewership ratings of 12.5%. Then came the ninth minute, and Hwaranjeon's preview finally made headlines.

"Hwaranjeon's first preview, minute nine—viewership ratings of 12.8%! It's going up!"

A cheer erupted from everyone. Instead of dropping, the ratings were rising even though it was a preview.

"Wow~ shouldn't this be in the news?"

"This is insane! How does a preview's viewership ratings go up?"

"Mrs. Oh, what about Queen Jeong-Hee?"

"Queen Jeong-Hee is at 11.9%! The gap's widening."

Oh Bok-Hee took a deep breath and tried to calm the buzzing staff, but even her own voice trembled. "It's not over yet. Let's keep watching."

By the ten minute mark, Hwaranjeon's preview viewership ratings rose again to 12.9%. Meanwhile, Queen Jeong-Hee's preview held at 11.9%.

But what came next was critical. There was no telling how much longer Park Chan-Sik would extend the trailer, despite claiming it was only scheduled for ten minutes.

Oh Bok-Hee muttered under her breath.

"Hah... I knew it."

I had been right. Past the ten minute mark, KBC brought out its big guns, just like us—female lead So Yi-Yung and male lead Park Woo-Joon entered, grabbing the viewers' attention.

So Yi-Yung was an S-class actress praised for her acting chops in the film world, and had previously competed with Yoo-Jin in Festival of Money. Park Woo-Joon, a top actor in romantic comedies, was doing his first historical drama, but his voice and looks suited the genre well.

And just like that, it turned into a battle of So Yi-Yung and Park Woo-Joon vs. Yoo-Jin & Miso.

As the clock passed eleven and twelve minutes, Miso clenched her fists and suddenly shouted, "Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

Like she was rowing a boat, Miso started cheering with all her might, and the nearby staff began to follow her lead.

"Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!"

Everyone was so desperate that they had no choice but to join in on Miso's ridiculous but spirited chant.

Then, another report came in.

Ding!

"We are at 13.2% right now! And Queen Jeong-Hee is at 12.6%! They surged!"

Oh Bok-Hee scratched her head after announcing the numbers.

"Ah... this is driving me nuts. How many extra minutes did KBC schedule?"

She started raising her voice, clearly flustered. Even though it was just a preview, losing the top spot in viewership ratings for the time slot would be humiliating in front of advertisers. Two days of hard work could go down the drain.

Sensing the tension, Miso shouted even louder. "Heave-ho! Heave-ho! One more push!"

With renewed energy in Miso's chant, even the staff who had only been watching started shouting along.

"Heave! Ho! Heave! Ho!"

And in that noisy chaos, at 13 minutes and 40 seconds, So Yi-Yung as Queen Jeong-Hee and Park Woo-Joon as King Sejo appeared on screen in hanbok, bowing deeply toward the viewers.

At last, formal script-style text appeared on the screen.

KBC Special Drama Queen Jeong-Hee

Premieres January 13, 2021.

10 p.m. First Broadcast.

We ask for your love and support.

Queen Jeong-Hee aired its first preview and only cut to commercials at the fourteen minute mark.

At that, Oh Bok-Hee leaned back on the sofa with an exhausted shout. "This is insane... They said ten minutes but aired fourteen..."

Ding!

Oh Bok-Hee checked the message.

"Queen Jeong-Hee finished with 13.3%! And Hwaranjeon also hit 13.3%."

Thanks to a strong push at the end, Queen Jeong-Hee managed to tie the viewership ratings. If we hadn't aired just a bit longer, we might have lost the first round of the preview viewership ratings war.

Right then, in Hwaranjeon, Yoo-Jin and Miso wrapped up their character introductions and gave a graceful bow to the viewers.

MBS Special Hwaranjeon (華亂傳)

January 13, 2021.

First broadcast at 10 p.m.

Please give us lots of love and support.

Hwaranjeon aired its ending graphics at exactly the fifteen minute mark. As the commercials began to roll, the set of Hwaranjeon fell into a tense silence.

With the previews tied at 13.3% in the fourteenth minute, everyone was dying to know the final result.

"What's the number, Mrs. Oh?"

"Mrs. Oh, has the viewership ratings come in yet?"

"Hold on."

With no message yet, Oh Bok-Hee reached for her phone to call Ryu Han-Joon. But just then, her phone vibrated.

Buzz!

Oh Bok-Hee took the call with a nervous expression. Soon, her face began to brighten as she listened.

"Really? Yes! Yes, got it!"

Excited, Oh Bok-Hee shouted with joy.

"Final viewership ratings of 14.9%! There was a jump of 1.6% in the final minute!"

At that moment, the entire staff erupted in celebration, shaking the set.

"Woooaaah!!"

"We won!!"

Thanks to bringing in Yoo-Jin and Miso and going all in with a fifteen minute slot, we narrowly won the first preview viewership ratings war.

***

After the Queen Jeong-Hee preview ended, a chilling atmosphere filled the air inside KBC's master control room. Even with the broadcast over, Park Chan-Sik sat silently with his arms crossed, his face dark and furrowed.

Then the headlines started appearing, enough to make the staff sick to their stomachs.

[(Breaking) MBS Hwaranjeon, peak preview viewership ratings of 14.9%!]

[(Breaking) KBC Queen Jeong-Hee, peak preview viewership ratings of 13.3%!]

[(Breaking) Hwaranjeon and Queen Jeong-Hee post phenomenal preview viewership ratings.]

[(Breaking) Signs of epic dramas: Hwaranjeon vs Queen Jeong-Hee.]

[Hwaranjeon wins the first round of preview viewership ratings war! 14.9% vs 13.3%!]

[Hwaranjeon vs Queen Jeong-Hee: First preview battle goes to Hwaranjeon. "Who will win tomorrow's second round?"]

Park Chan-Sik, having read the headlines, turned to CP Do Ye-Soo and Drama Division Director Tae Eun-Jong and exploded.

"Hey. Director Tae, CP Do. What the hell happened here? How did MBS end up airing a longer trailer than us? Didn't they say it was set for ten minutes too?"

"I-I was definitely told that," Do Ye-Soo stammered.

"Then why was it fifteen minutes?!"

Tae Eun-Jong and Do Ye-Soo stood there with their mouths shut, like they had swallowed their tongues. KBC surely also said ten minutes and aired fourteen, but it didn't matter anymore.

When neither of them responded, Park Chan-Sik raised his voice even more. "Don't just sit there and say nothing. Come up with a plan! A plan! What, are you two trying to sabotage my reappointment? Is that it?"

Do Ye-Soo quickly responded, "W-We'll do it properly tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? How?"

"I'll schedule twenty minutes for the preview!"

Park Chan-Sik ground his teeth. "That's a given! Anything else? Something creative?"

Do Ye-Soo hesitated, but Tae Eun-Jong, who was more tactful, stepped in to contain the situation. "Please don't worry. I'll find a way. I'll squeeze the drama team dry if I have to!"

Park Chan-Sik stared hard at the two of them and got to his feet. Managing connections was critical for his reappointment, and he had a dinner scheduled that night with political heavyweights.

"Let's do this right. Both of you. If I don't get reappointed, I'm not going down alone. You're coming with me. Got that?"

At his chilling warning, both Tae Eun-Jong and Do Ye-Soo bowed their heads in a rush. "Yes, sir."

The only thing running through their minds now was to triple the ad budget for tomorrow's preview.

***

It was 10:48 p.m. on January 7.

KBC's drama Fox Marble ended with a final viewership ratings of 23.1%. MBS' rival show My Way Sisters closed out with 15.5%.

With a 7.6% gap between the two dramas, Oh Bok-Hee couldn't stop sighing. Because the higher the preview viewership ratings, the more likely viewers would tune in for next week's episode 1.

"Ugh... tonight's even more important..."

Soon, Hwaranjeon's second preview began.

Oh Bok-Hee looked at me nervously. "Mr. Jung, when will it be ready?"

"At exactly 11 p.m."

I had prepared a little extra for the second preview today. First, I had Kang Ha-Na move up her MeTube live broadcast for today, where she had Seo Yeon-Woo and Sae-Ri perform the Hwaranjeon original soundtrack.

I also asked them to plug the MBS Hwaranjeon's preview during the stream. It was part of a coordinated promotional strategy.

Oh Bok-Hee said, "It'll work out, right?"

All I could do was flash a small smile at Oh Bok-Hee's anxious question. Meanwhile, the first-minute viewership ratings for the second preview came in. KBC Queen Jeong-Hee had 11.9%, and MBS' Hwaranjeon had 10.2%.

Since Yoo-Jin and Miso barely appeared due to the preview's focus on historical background, Hwaranjeon was trailing a bit more than yesterday.

Ten minutes passed, and new viewership ratings came in.

"Queen Jeong-Hee is at 12.3%. Hwaranjeon is at 10.5%."

Because of KBC's aggressive advertising all day and the wide viewership ratings gap with its lead-in drama, we were falling further behind.

Then, 11 p.m. finally arrived and Eun Ji-Yoo sent me a message.

[Team Lead Eun Ji-Yoo: Mr. Jung, Yeon-Woo and Sae-Ri's songs just charted. And Kang Ha-Na just started talking about MBS Hwaranjeon on her MeTube live.]

I checked the message, then quickly opened Ha-Na's MeTube channel. Seo Yeon-Woo and Sae-Ri were singing the Hwaranjeon's original soundtrack live.

Then I checked the music charts to see that Seo Yeon-Woo's 'Hwayeonga' and 'Firefly Bridge' had just gone up. They debuted at ranks 13 and 15, respectively. Those were strong debuts, and it was clear they would climb even higher soon.

I turned to Oh Bok-Hee and called out, "Ha-Na's MeTube broadcast is live now. They just started talking about the MBS' Hwaranjeon preview."

At last, Oh Bok-Hee looked like she could breathe again, her face relaxing slightly. "Thank you. I hope we can at least tie this round."

I felt the same. But turning that into reality would take a little more time. Thirteen minutes ticked in, and a shift began in the viewership ratings.

"Queen Jeong-Hee is climbing with 13.1% and Hwaranjeon is at 11.9%! But the gap is narrowing!"

Thanks to the original soundtrack upload, Kang Ha-Na's MeTube livestream, and a viewer-promotion push, plus widespread sharing on social media, public attention intensified, and it started to reflect in the viewership ratings.

Gradually, Hwaranjeon's ratings climbed. And by nineteen minutes, the gap had shrunk significantly.

"Queen Jeong-Hee is at 14.1% and Hwaranjeon is at 13.8%! Just a 0.3% difference! We're catching up fast!"

Everyone was on the edge of their seat, hands sweating.

A little later, both previews wrapped up at the twenty minute mark. Oh Bok-Hee and the crew were even more tense than the night before.

Even though the viewership ratings caught up late in the game, Hwaranjeon hadn't managed to surpass Queen Jeong-Hee at any point during the second preview.

Then, Oh Bok-Hee received a call.

Buzz.

However, her expression turned serious as she listened.

"Yes, yes. Queen Jeong-Hee is at 14.5%? Okay. And Hwaranjeon is... what? Could you repeat that, please?"