[Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games] MBC Day 9 Broadcast: Badminton and Relay Lead Ratings with An Se-young's Semifinal Victory

MBC [Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games] An Se-young's overwhelming semifinal victory! “It is now the era of An Se-young.” MBC's Kim Sung-joo and Chae Yoo-jung's surprise broadcasting chemistry pays off! Badminton ratings surge to 1st place! From men's volleyball finishing 1st in the group to the dramatic turnaround in the men's track relay... On the 9th day of the games, which continued to deliver movie-like victories, MBC ranked 1st in viewership for major matches.

- The 'Kim Sung-joo effect': MBC leads badminton ratings... Women's singles An Se-young's semifinal ranks 1st in Seoul metropolitan area X 2054 and nationwide 2054 - Sweeps 1st place in all badminton women's doubles and men's doubles categories - Men's 4x100m relay, overcoming disqualification to win bronze through a successful appeal! Completing an all-time dramatic turnaround! MBC ranks 1st nationwide X 2054 - Women's 4x100m relay final and men's 4x400m relay 1st round sweep 1st place in all MBC viewership categories - MBC continues 1st place streak in men's volleyball and men's handball

On the 28th (Monday), the 9th day of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, MBC stayed with viewers by vividly reporting on the challenges and medal news of South Korean athletes. In particular, MBC proved the intense interest in its coverage by ranking 1st in viewership for events that captured the nation's attention, such as An Se-young's women's singles badminton, the women's doubles team that successfully reached the finals for the second consecutive tournament following Hangzhou, the men's volleyball team that advanced to the quarterfinals by finishing 1st in their group, and the men's 4x100m relay which showed a dramatic turnaround to win bronze.

According to data compiled by the viewership research institution Nielsen, in the badminton women's singles semifinal where An Se-young showed overwhelming skill to reach the finals, MBC recorded 1st place in the Seoul metropolitan area household rating (1.9%), Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (1.1%), and nationwide 2054 rating (0.8%). In the women's doubles semifinal where Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na successfully reached the finals, MBC swept 1st place in all categories, including the Seoul metropolitan area household rating (1.2%), nationwide household rating (1.1%), Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (0.7%), and nationwide 2054 rating (0.5%). Additionally, in the men's doubles semifinal featuring Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae, who unfortunately failed to reach the finals, MBC ranked 1st in all categories, including the Seoul metropolitan area household rating (1.5%), nationwide household rating (1.3%), Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (1.1%), and nationwide 2054 rating (0.7%).

MBC's streak of 1st place ratings continued in the major track and field events that heated up the night of the 9th day of the games. In the men's 4x100m relay final featuring Lee Jae-sung, Jo El-jin, Bweisa, and Seo Min-jun, MBC recorded 1st place in the nationwide household rating (4.4%), Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (2.2%), and nationwide 2054 rating (2.1%). In the women's 4x100m relay final featuring Kim Myung-ji, Kim Seo-yun, Kim Joo Ha, and Seo Ji-hyeon, MBC swept 1st place in all categories, including the nationwide household rating (5.0%), Seoul metropolitan area household rating (4.4%), nationwide 2054 rating (2.5%), and Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (2.2%). Furthermore, in the men's 4x400m relay 1st round featuring Bae Geon-yul, Shin Min-gyu, Lee Jae-ung, and Jang Min-ho, MBC ranked 1st in all categories, including the nationwide household rating (4.4%), Seoul metropolitan area household rating (4.0%), Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (2.1%), and nationwide 2054 rating (2.0%).

Additionally, in the men's volleyball preliminary match against Taiwan, where the team secured advancement to the quarterfinals by finishing 1st in the group, MBC ranked 1st in the nationwide household rating (3.9%), nationwide 2054 rating (1.3%), and Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (1.1%). In the men's handball semifinal, MBC swept 1st place in all categories, including the nationwide household rating (2.5%), Seoul metropolitan area household rating (2.1%), nationwide 2054 rating (0.9%), and Seoul metropolitan area 2054 rating (0.7%).

#Badminton #Overwhelming victory proving 'Now is the era of An Se-young' #Women's doubles Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na also advance to finals

In the badminton women's singles semifinal, world number one An Se-young secured her place in the finals by displaying truly overwhelming performance against Chen Yufei (China), who was called her 'nemesis.' Following An Se-young's performance, where she struck unexpected course shots and merciless diagonal attacks throughout the match, MBC caster Kim Sung-joo praised her, saying, "That diagonal attack is something Chen Yufei cannot even follow. It is close to a magic trick. It is play that naturally draws exclamations." Toward the end of the match, he raised the atmosphere by saying, "An Se-young is showing the best play, as if we are witnessing her peak time," and upon her advancement to the finals, he expressed his overwhelming emotion, saying, "We are now living in the era of An Se-young." Commentator Chae Yoo-jung also applauded An Se-young for her perfect victory, stating, "Seeing her standing with the national flag is truly reassuring. She doesn't let go of a single shuttlecock easily and leads the match intelligently."

In the women's doubles semifinal, the Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na duo suppressed their opponents' momentum with high-quality, rapid-fire play, winning 2-0 in sets and reaching the finals for the second consecutive tournament. Caster Kim Sung-joo noted their excellent performance, saying, "They seized the victory by scoring rapid-fire points through unexpected courses," while commentator Chae Yoo-jung expressed high expectations, saying, "A perfect opportunity has come to go beyond the silver medal in Hangzhou and wear the gold medal around her neck." Yoo Tae-bin, who caused an upset by reaching the men's singles semifinals for the first time in 16 years in his first Asian Games appearance, and the men's doubles duo Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae unfortunately missed the victory in the semifinals but earned a valuable bronze medal. Caster Kim Sung-joo offered praise, saying, "Yoo Tae-bin, who was not even mentioned as a title contender, beat the top-ranked players and showed a match without regrets," and commentator Chae Yoo-jung gave unsparing applause, saying, "Yoo Tae-bin is growing continuously as he runs. Through this tournament, he has properly shown that there is also men's singles badminton."

#Track and Field #A race thought to be over, regained the final ticket → Bronze medal from lane 1! #Men's 4x100m relay completes an emotional turnaround drama with medals in two consecutive tournaments!

A dramatic reversal unfolded in athletics. The men's 4x100m relay team, consisting of Seo Min-jun, Jo El-jin, Lee Jae-sung, and Bweisa, was initially disqualified during the preliminaries, but they dramatically secured a ticket to the finals after South Korea's legitimate appeal was accepted. Despite being assigned to Lane 1, which is considered the most disadvantageous, the athletes showed perfect baton exchanges and excellent teamwork to cross the finish line in 3rd place, writing new history with their second consecutive Asian Games bronze medal. MBC caster Kim Min-ho expressed emotion at the athletes' tenacity, stating, “They proved the opportunity regained from a race we thought was over through their results.” Commentator Yeo Ho-su-a shared his heartfelt thoughts, saying, “The pressure must have been great, but I am so proud of them for seeing it through to the end. They perfectly proved their skills on the stage of the Asian Games.” Meanwhile, the men's 4x400m relay team of Jang Min-ho, Shin Min-gyu, Bae Geon-yul, and Lee Jae-ung recorded 5th place in their heat but advanced to the finals, and commentator Yeo Ho-su-a offered encouragement, saying, “It was worth running without giving up until the end.” In the women's 4x100m relay final, South Korea finished the competition in 7th place after a hard-fought race.

#Men's Volleyball #Confirmed for Quarterfinals with 2 Consecutive Wins in Group Stage

In men's volleyball, South Korea secured advancement to the quarterfinals by winning their second consecutive group stage match with a 3-1 comeback victory against Taiwan in the second match of Group D. Although the match was a tight contest in the early stages, the atmosphere completely shifted from the second set onwards as stable teamwork, Heo Su-bong's powerful attacks, Lim Dong-hyeok's finishing ability, and Shin Ho-jin's speed came alive. MBC caster Jeong Byeong-mun gave strength to the team early in the match, saying, “Our players' atmosphere is good. I think we just need to focus on our play,” and cheered for Shin Ho-jin's performance, shouting, “He is truly South Korea's firefighter!” Additionally, he vividly conveyed the heated play, noting Heo Su-bong's sharp attacking power with “He is stirring up the opponent's court to his heart's content,” and Lee Sang-hyeon's quick attack with “It was an attack that was almost like firing a laser.” Commentator Moon Sung-min provided a summary, saying, “Volleyball is ultimately a battle of momentum. The players did not lose focus and minimized errors to bring home a perfect victory.”

#Men's Handball #Regrettable Loss to Qatar_On to the Bronze Medal Match!

In men's handball, South Korea's chance to advance to the final was unfortunately lost after losing to Qatar in the semifinals. South Korea took the lead by playing aggressively from the start, and the match remained tight with the great saves of goalkeeper Park Jae-yong. After finishing the first half 16-16, the close battle continued in the second half, but South Korea failed to prevent Qatar's consecutive scoring at the end of the match, resulting in the loss of their chance to reach the final. MBC caster No Jae-yeong, who handled the broadcast that day, noted the tight flow after the first half, saying, “It is a tie, but we have a feeling that we clearly dominated,” and offered unstinting support for the players in the second half, saying, “South Korea is showing focused shooting until the very end.” Commentator Yoon Hyun-kyung also delivered warm encouragement, saying, “It is truly very regrettable, but the way our players ran until the end was impressive.”

#Diving #1m Springboard Soo‐Ji Kim Bronze X Kim Yeong-nam Silver

In diving, both men and women reached the podium. Soo‐Ji Kim won the bronze medal in the women's 1m springboard, and in the men's 1m springboard, Kim Yeong-nam took the silver medal, preventing China from monopolizing the medals. Caster Kim Cho-rong emphasized the athletes' stability, saying, “Our athletes' match management is very good,” and commentator Kim Hyeon-suk sent support, saying, “I hope they can calmly show all of their skills,” while evaluating Soo‐Ji Kim by saying, “Despite her small stature, her jump is high and her entry is experienced.” As Kim Yeong-nam's performance continued, the broadcasting duo cheered, “He used the board well. A wonderful performance,” and commentator Kim Hyeon-suk celebrated the valuable silver medal, saying, “Regardless of the ranking, it is amazing just that he shook up China.” Kim Ji-uk and Kim Na-hyun, who also competed, finished in 5th place respectively.

As such, on the 9th day of the competition, amidst news of medals from the South Korean delegation and dramatic matches, MBC was chosen by viewers through vivid on-site broadcasting by specialized commentary teams for various sports, including badminton, volleyball, handball, athletics, and diving.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: MBC

· Category: Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

· Distribution: September 29, 09:03

Source: MBC Press Release

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