MBC Ranks 1st with 1.5 Million Viewers for Women's Basketball Semifinals and 100m Athletics on Chuseok

MBC [Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games] The 'flower of athletics,' the 100m final, ranked overwhelmingly 1st in viewership.. MBC's streak of 1st place ratings continues even through Chuseok! They caught two birds with one stone by ranking 1st in both ratings and number of viewers in major events such as women's basketball, athletics, and table tennis!

- Women's basketball semifinals, shooting, and athletics all ranked 1st in nationwide X metropolitan area 2054 ratings. - Table tennis mixed doubles quarterfinals & men's doubles round of 32 ranked 1st in nationwide X 2054 ratings. - Athletics men's 100m final, the sprint of Jo El-jin and Bweisa attracts attention with 1.5 million viewers watching with MBC! - South Korea men's football, Lee Young-jun's multi-goal $\rightarrow$ Kim Ji-su and Kim Myung-jun's consecutive goals! Confirmed advancement to the semifinals by crushing Vietnam 4-0! Caster Kim Sung-joo praised, “An activity like a digestive aid! They gave a proper goal gift on Chuseok day!” - South Korea baseball, a disappointing loss in the 1st match of the Super Round.. MBC's Kim Na-jin, Jung Min-chul, and Oh Seung-hwan are broadcasting with exploding tension from the early stages of the game! - Women's basketball advances to the final after overcoming the 'Great Wall' X the first-ever gold medal feat in men's 3x3 basketball! MBC broadcasting team, “They finally reached the top by breaking through rough defense!” - From MBC's Kim Sung-joo, Ahn Jung-hwan, and Seo Hyung-wook's football quarterfinals broadcast to the sharp match analysis of commentators like Yoo Nam-kyu for table tennis and Kim Yeon-ju for basketball! Proving once again their reputation as a 'sports powerhouse.'

On the 25th (Friday), the 6th day of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, MBC caught two birds with one stone by recording 1st place in both ratings and number of viewers in major events, even on Chuseok day.

According to data compiled by the ratings research institution Nielsen, in the table tennis mixed doubles quarterfinals (featuring Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon) and the men's doubles round of 32 (featuring Oh Jun Sung and Lim Jong-hoon) which signaled the start of the Chuseok morning matches, MBC recorded 1st place in nationwide household ratings (2.6%), nationwide 2054 ratings (0.8%), and metropolitan area 2054 ratings (0.8%).

Additionally, in the shooting mixed team 10m air pistol final, MBC ranked 1st in all sectors: nationwide household ratings (2.7%), metropolitan area household ratings (2.5%), nationwide 2054 ratings (0.9%), and metropolitan area 2054 ratings (0.9%). In the subsequent men's 50m rifle final featuring Jeong Seung-u, MBC ranked 1st in nationwide household ratings (1.9%) and nationwide 2054 ratings (0.5%).

And in the women's basketball semifinal match against China, which gave the greatest emotion and joy to the people on Chuseok day, MBC ranked 1st in nationwide household ratings (3.9%), metropolitan area household ratings (3.7%), and nationwide 2054 ratings (1.1%).

Finally, in athletics, which brilliantly concluded the Chuseok night with the men's and women's 100m finals, the 'flower of athletics,' MBC ranked 1st in all sectors: nationwide household ratings (5.5%), metropolitan area household ratings (4.9%), nationwide 2054 ratings (2.5%), and metropolitan area 2054 ratings (2.5%).

In particular, it was analyzed that MBC consistently received the choice of viewers on Chuseok day, ranking 1st in both nationwide ratings and number of viewers for everything from the aforementioned table tennis and shooting to women's basketball and athletics. In terms of the number of viewers, they all ranked 1st, recording 714,000 for table tennis, 935,000 for women's basketball, and 1,504,000 for athletics.

First, the South Korean women's basketball team achieved a brilliant victory and advanced to the final stage by showing a match without a single inch of concession in the semifinal against their 'arch-rival' China. Enjoying the joy of breaking the chain of consecutive losses against China that had lasted for a whopping 7 years, they secured a silver medal and are now facing the final battle for the gold medal. The chemistry between MBC caster Ko Kang-yong and commentator Kim Yeon-ju, who handled the broadcast that day, also shone. Caster Ko Kang-yong cheered, “Our players are showing fighting spirit without holding back against China, which is lined up with tall players over 2m,” and “By breaking down the huge wall that could not be overcome for 7 years and taking the lead, they provide the hottest Chuseok gift to the people on Chuseok day.” Commentator Kim Yeon-ju expressed her emotion, saying, “The strategy of competing with outside 3-point shots against the opponent's height worked perfectly,” and “Lee So-hee's performance today is 100 out of 100. Based on seamless defense and momentum from the 1st quarter to the 4th quarter, they played a legendary match where the gold medal is in sight.”

The South Korean men's football team confirmed their advancement to the semifinals by securing a massive 4-0 victory against Vietnam. Caster Kim Sung-joo provided laughter with a Chuseok-tailored comment, saying, “They are providing the best goal gift on Chuseok day. There might be people who overate during the holiday, but our players are showing an activity like a digestive aid that clears the stomach.” Commentator Ahn Jung-hwan added fun to the broadcast with witty metaphors along with strategic analysis of breaking down the dense defense. Regarding Vietnam's ten-back defense in the early part of the match, he pointed out, “When the opponent sits low, you must move constantly to create space. Even if the opponent only defends, if an open pass for a reversal is made, space is bound to open up,” and after a refreshing open pass appeared, he showed witty remarks suitable for the holiday, saying, “It's an amazing pass that broke through the dense defense. The ball must have looked as big as a full moon.”

Also, as soon as Eom Ji-sung was put in at the start of the second half, he expressed expectation, saying, “I hope the 'Eom-card' (Eom Ji-sung card) is used usefully today as well,” and after Eom Ji-sung performed brilliantly, he drew laughter by responding, “I thought the Eom-card limit was fully used, but they increased the limit further. It is a definite limit increase.” He continued to praise the team's fighting spirit, saying, “To compare it to Yutnori, it's like getting a 'Yut.' Because the players ran hard without giving up until the end, luck followed them too.”

In the first match of the baseball super round, South Korea suffered a disappointing loss to Japan. Starting pitcher So Hyeong-jun managed the game early on by facing the Japanese lineup, but the South Korean batting lineup failed to attack the Japanese mound, ultimately ending the game without any scoring. Amidst the tight 0-0 flow in the early part of the game, MBC caster Kim Na-jin announced the start of the serious medal competition, saying, “From the super round, it is now a real battle of strength.” When Kim Joo-won's first hit occurred, she welcomed it, saying, “Kim Joo-won is not resting today either.” Commentator Jung Min-chul called for concentration, stating, “They perfectly completed the three preliminary matches and must carry that momentum into the super round,” while commentator Oh Seung-hwan conveyed the tension of the Korea-Japan match, saying, “From today, a different kind of baseball will likely begin. The value of a single point will change.”

In shooting, Chu Ga-eun and Hong Su-hyeon secured a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, bringing another medal to South Korea. The two athletes maintained their concentration until the end in the final to secure the precious silver medal. Following her individual gold medal in this competition, Chu Ga-eun continued her performance by adding a medal in the mixed team event. In the men's 50m rifle three positions, Jeong Seung-u placed 7th in the individual final, and in the team event alongside Park Sung-hyun and Kwon Hyeop-jun, they won a bronze medal. MBC caster Eom Ju-won emphasized the importance of every single step in the mixed team event, noting, “Mind control is important. It is a mental battle because the outcome is decided by a 0.1-point difference.” At the moment the silver medal was confirmed, she applauded loudly, saying, “South Korea wins a proud silver medal. Congratulations.” Commentator Kim Jong-hyeon also applauded the duo's teamwork, saying, “The charm of a team event is when one athlete holds up another when they waver.”

In table tennis, the duo of Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon secured a valuable bronze medal by facing Taiwan and China in succession in the mixed doubles. When the two athletes reached the semifinals after a close 3-2 victory against Taiwan in the quarterfinals, MBC caster Jeong Yeong-han expressed high expectations for the pair, calling them “a combination you can rely on firmly.” Commentator Yoo Nam-kyu also offered generous praise after the match against Taiwan, saying, “They overcame difficult hurdles with tactics that caught the opponent off guard and strong mental strength,” adding, “It was a valuable victory where tactical checks and condition management were excellently carried out, enough to watch with the immersion of a coach.” However, they narrowly missed advancing to the finals after a disappointing loss to China, but still brought another medal to South Korea. In the men's doubles, the duo of Oh Jun Sung and Lim Jong-hoon advanced to the round of 16 after defeating Thailand, and Shin Yu-bin also continued her smooth run with four consecutive wins in the women's singles round of 32.

In athletics, South Korea's sprinting prospects Jo El-jin and Bweisa both reached the men's 100m final stage, competing against top-tier Asian athletes. The two athletes finished 4th and 5th respectively, confirming the competitiveness of South Korean sprinting simply by both reaching the 100m final at the Asian Games. MBC caster Kim Min-ho noted the significance, saying, “Both athletes achieved good results in this competition. They showed their potential,” and “Reaching the final side-by-side is a great achievement in itself.” Commentator Yeo Ho-su-a also conveyed the atmosphere before the race, saying, “Our athletes look very relaxed,” and offered encouragement, saying, “The start for both athletes was not bad. I look forward to their future records even more.”

In addition, in 3X3 basketball, both the South Korean men's and women's national teams created historic moments. The women's national team failed to reach the finals after losing 8-19 to Japan in the semifinals, but left an achievement of reaching the semifinals for the first time in Asian Games history. The men's national team, after completely overwhelming the Philippines in the semifinals, wrote a grand history by claiming the first gold medal in Asian Games history by overwhelming Qatar's tough defense in the finals. MBC caster No Jae-yeong cheered, “The four players who only fired golden shots in Nagoya have finally roared,” and commentator Choi Yeon-gil highly evaluated the athletes' fighting spirit, saying, “Our athletes did it even while facing such rough defense.” Kim Jae-ho, who participated in the men's gymnastics vault final, finished the competition with an excellent 4th place finish, showing clean aerial movements and high-quality landings despite it being his first Asian Games appearance. Commentator Yang Hak-seon, who provided professional expertise with near-perfect score predictions alongside caster Seo In, encouraged him, saying, “Even though it was not his main event, he completed the stage through constant effort. As he implemented more than 99% of the prepared techniques, he is an athlete to look forward to in the future.”

In swimming, Lee Ju-ho concluded the competition by winning a silver medal in the 200m backstroke final. Although he narrowly missed the gold medal by 0.16 seconds, he once again stood on the podium in his main event. MBC caster Seong Seung-heon and commentator Park Chan-i closely analyzed the races of the South Korean athletes, including Lee Ju-ho, until the end. Park Chan-i encouraged the athletes, saying, “They must concentrate until the very end,” and highly evaluated the technical perfection of Lee Ju-ho's stroke, noting, “He has a stroke that looks relaxed, but his forward speed is tremendous.” He continued with the analysis, “It is a truly stable race,” following the athletes' swimming until the end.

On Chuseok, the sixth day of the competition, the challenge of the South Korean Taeguk Warriors continued. Amidst major moments such as the women's basketball team reaching the finals for the first time in 12 years, the men's 3X3 basketball team's first-ever gold medal, consecutive medals in shooting, and valuable medals in table tennis and swimming, MBC shared the moments of sweat, joy, and regret of the South Korean athletes with viewers through a commentary team with expertise in each sport and immersive broadcasting.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: MBC

· Category: Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

· Distribution: September 26, 09:22

Source: MBC Press Release

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