MBC Broadcasts Rank 1st in Ratings for Men's Basketball Jordan Match and Women's Volleyball Hong Kong Match

MBC [Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games] South Korea men's basketball completely crushes Jordan... advancing to the semifinals for the first time in 8 years! Women's volleyball achieves a 3-0 shutout victory against Hong Kong thanks to the powerful performance of solver Kang So-hwi! MBC ranks 1st in viewership for both men's basketball and women's volleyball!

- MBC ranks 1st in all categories: national X metropolitan X 2054 viewership for men's basketball and women's volleyball - MBC's Ha Seung-jin and Ko Kang Yong, “South Korea has become a complete team, a flawless and perfect match, they have gained wings!”

MBC recorded the number one viewership rating for both the men's basketball quarterfinals and the women's volleyball group stage match against Hong Kong held on the 16th during the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.

According to data collected by the viewership research agency Nielsen, in the 'Men's Basketball Quarterfinals' where caster Ko Kang Yong and commentator Ha Seung-jin worked together, MBC recorded 1st place in all categories with a 0.4% rating (based on metropolitan households), 0.3% (based on national households), and 0.1% (based on 2054).

Additionally, the viewership for the women's volleyball Group D preliminary match against Hong Kong, featuring caster Jeong Byeong-mun and commentator Jang So-yeon, also ranked 1st in all categories with 0.6% (based on national households), 0.5% (based on metropolitan households), and 0.1% (based on 2054).

South Korea achieved consecutive victories in men's basketball and women's volleyball at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. On Wednesday the 16th, MBC vividly delivered the news of South Korea's exhilarating victories through the live broadcasts of the men's basketball quarterfinals and the first match of the women's volleyball Group D league stage.

First, South Korea crushed Jordan by 34 points in the men's basketball quarterfinals and advanced to the Asian Games semifinals for the first time in 8 years. South Korea, which suppressed the opponent's attack with solid defense from the early stages of the match, widened the score gap early on by utilizing fast offensive development. On this day, South Korea showed balanced performance in both offense and defense, even setting a record where all 12 players named in the entry scored.

In response, MBC commentator Ha Seung-jin noted the changed atmosphere of the national team before the match, saying, “The atmosphere is better than ever. They say the desire to win is great.” As the match began, he emphasized the stable defensive capability, stating, “South Korea's defense looks very solid from the start,” and marveled, “As shown in the score, they are not being careless and are playing an overwhelming game in both offense and defense,” as South Korea exploited Jordan's weaknesses to widen the gap. As Lee Hyun-jung's performance continued in the offense, commentator Ha Seung-jin praised him, saying, “He delivers without fail whenever a chance arises,” and when Yeo Jun-seok and Choi Jun-yong took to the court, he remarked, “With Yeo Jun-seok joining, it feels like South Korea has gained wings,” adding, “South Korea looks like a complete team, it's truly reassuring.”

Caster Ko Kang Yong also expressed anticipation from the start of the match, saying, “I hope they properly show the color of Korean basketball.” In particular, when Yeo Jun-seok's dunk landed, he gave unsparing support, shouting, “He announced his return with a dunk. Yeo Jun-seok is back.” For Choi Jun-yong's three-pointer, he raised the atmosphere with a witty comment, saying, “Even an airplane delay cannot stop Choi Jun-yong.”

At the moment South Korea confirmed their advancement to the semifinals with a victory, commentator Ha Seung-jin evaluated, “All 12 players scoring is a record that is very hard to achieve in international competitions,” and “It is an encouraging match where they achieved even physical strength management by winning with a large score gap.” Caster Ko Kang Yong also increased expectations for the semifinal performance, saying, “They are providing confidence with every match. The harmony is beautiful, even for the players performing in unseen places.”

In the subsequent first match of the women's volleyball Group D league stage, South Korea secured a pleasant first victory by shutting out Hong Kong with a set score of 3-0. In the early stages of the match, South Korea calmly took the lead, and from the second set, they completely overwhelmed the opponent with the unstoppable attack of the main gun Kang So-hwi. Caster Jeong Byeong-mun added to the heat, saying, “When Kang So-hwi jumps, she creates points without hesitation. The second set is Kang So-hwi's stage,” and commentator Jang So-yeon praised the national team's highly complete performance, saying, “Both Kang So-hwi's attack occupancy and efficiency are high. The process leading from a dig to a counterattack is very smooth.” Caster Jeong Byeong-mun concluded, “It was a match that cleanly resolved both the parts we were worried about and the parts we were expecting.”

Meanwhile, MBC will live broadcast the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games women's volleyball Group D preliminary match between South Korea and Qatar starting from 12:40 PM today (16th) with commentator Jang So-yeon and caster Jeong Byeong-mun. Following this, from 4:30 PM, caster Kim Na-jin and commentator Seo Hyung-wook will conduct the live broadcast of the women's football Group F preliminary match between South Korea and Bangladesh.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution: MBC

· Category: Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

· Distribution: September 17, 08:00

Source: MBC Press Release

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