MBC Sweeps No. 1 Ratings for Badminton and Fencing Semifinals as An Se-young Advances to Semifinals

Moments of victory for South Korea are with MBC! No. 1 in viewership for major matches! MBC, featuring 'National Caster' Kim Sung-joo, ranks first in viewership for badminton men's singles and fencing men's and women's team semifinals.

- MBC ranks No. 1 in nationwide and metropolitan viewership for badminton men's singles quarterfinals featuring Yoo Tae-bin - MBC sweeps No. 1 in nationwide, metropolitan, and 2054 nationwide/metropolitan viewership for fencing men's épée team semifinals!! Ranks No. 1 in 2054 nationwide and metropolitan viewership for women's sabre team semifinals - MBC caster Kim Sung-joo makes a surprise, unscheduled appearance at the badminton commentary booth! "I want to deliver good energy" – 100% sincere cheering for the South Korean national team.. An Se-young and Yoo Tae-bin advance to singles semifinals!

On the 27th (Sunday), the 8th day of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, MBC continued its streak of No. 1 viewership by vividly delivering the intense victory news and touching moments of the South Korean national team. In particular, the coverage of the badminton men's singles quarterfinals and the fencing men's and women's team events, which featured caster Kim Sung-joo making a surprise appearance at the commentary booth, captured the eyes and ears of viewers by recording No. 1 ratings.

According to data compiled by the viewership research institution Nielsen, MBC recorded No. 1 viewership in both nationwide households (2.1%) and metropolitan households (2.1%) for the badminton men's singles quarterfinals, where Yoo Tae-bin caused an upset by advancing to the semifinals.

Additionally, in the fencing men's épée team semifinals, MBC recorded No. 1 viewership in all sectors, including nationwide households (2.1%), metropolitan households (2.0%), 2054 nationwide (0.9%), and 2054 metropolitan (0.6%). Furthermore, in the women's sabre team semifinals, MBC ranked No. 1 in 2054 nationwide (0.9%) and 2054 metropolitan (0.9%) viewership.

#Badminton #National Caster's 'Surprise Appearance' – An Se-young heads straight to semifinals amidst passionate cheering from Kim Sung-joo #Men's singles + Men's and Women's doubles also advance to semifinals

In badminton, world No. 1 An Se-young demonstrated her overwhelming skill worthy of the world's best, easily defeating Thailand in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals, continuing her steps toward the first-ever consecutive two titles in women's singles in Asian Games history. On this day, caster Kim Sung-joo, who was not originally scheduled, made a surprise appearance at the commentary booth, injecting special vitality into the scene. Kim Sung-joo, who broadcasted An Se-young's gold medal match during the Paris Olympics, expressed his special cheering sentiment, saying, "I sat in the commentary booth because I wanted to deliver that good energy even just a little bit."

Caster Kim Sung-joo also noted An Se-young's incredible record. He offered unsparing praise, stating, "She has been world No. 1 for 102 weeks. Her record of 53 wins and 1 loss this season is truly phenomenal." At the exquisite drop shot, where she pretended to prepare a smash and then instantly changed the angle to drop the shuttlecock, Kim Sung-joo continued his admiration, asking, "How many players could show such a technique?" Commentator Chae Yoo-jung also gave generous praise for An Se-young's performance, asking, "How much practice must she have done?" and adding, "An Se-young is a truly diligent athlete who trains even when others are resting." Furthermore, she evaluated, "I feel like all the data of the opposing players is in her head," and marveled at how she did not lose focus even when the score gap widened, saying, "She shows a match that allows the viewers to cheer comfortably." In the men's singles, Yoo Tae-bin caused an upset by defeating world No. 7 Japan to advance to the semifinals. Along with Kim Sung-joo's evaluation that "He seems to have gained complete confidence," commentator Chae Yoo-jung highlighted the upward trend, noting, "You can see him growing with every match." In men's doubles, Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae also achieved a comeback victory against Japan, and in women's doubles, Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na also reported advancing to the semifinals, proving the strength of South Korean badminton.

#Fencing Women's Sabre Team Gold Medal X First-ever Gold Medal in Skateboarding

Good news was also delivered in fencing. The sport has established itself as a true mainstay for South Korean medals, winning silver in the men's épée team and gold in the women's sabre team. In particular, in the men's épée team semifinals, South Korea grabbed a ticket to the finals after a fierce battle in extra time. Accordingly, MBC's caster Jeong Byeong-mun and commentator Yoon Ji-su vividly reported the dramatic moment of victory, saying, "They beat a team of Paris Olympics gold medalists. The momentum and strategy of the South Korean athletes were so good." In the women's sabre team semifinals, South Korea met China and secured a spot in the finals by firmly taking the initiative from the beginning. Caster Jeong Byeong-mun evaluated Jeon Ha-young's scoring, saying, "She completely mastered the timing," and commentator Yoon Ji-su supported the athletes' confident play, saying, "The momentum is great today. If they keep going like this, they can do it!" In the subsequent final, the women's sabre team defeated Japan to reclaim the Asian Games team gold medal for the first time in 8 years. On the other hand, the men's épée team won silver in the final.

#Baseball #Defeated Arch-rival Japan to Achieve 5th Consecutive Asian Games Title! "Overcame a difficult journey to defend the top of Asia"

The South Korean national baseball team completed a great record of five consecutive Asian Games gold medals by defeating their arch-rival Japan. Although South Korea lost to Japan in the super round, they showed a completely different side in the final. Starter Gwak Been laid the foundation for the team's victory by maintaining stable pitching against the opposing lineup, and the desperation of the batting lineup eventually broke down Japan's mound.

Caster Kim Na-jin and commentators Jung Min-chul and Oh Seung-hwan, broadcasting live from Nagoya, conveyed the tension of the final match where the outcome was unpredictable throughout the game. Early in the match, caster Kim Na-jin pointed out, “The central lineup that must fully wake up is the key to today's match,” and commentator Jung Min-chul also expressed expectations for the players to show their true selves, saying, “The opportunity for revenge has finally come.” When the first point was scored, commentator Jung Min-chul emphasized, “Kim Do-young's hit is significant. It is showing from the beginning that today's match is different.” Commentator Oh Seung-hwan also explained that a single small scene is lifting the atmosphere of the entire team, stating, “The sight of player Kim Do-young cheering after going to first base, the players on the bench must have all seen it.”

As the tight 1-1 battle continued, the tension in the broadcasting booth reached its peak. Caster Kim Na-jin conveyed the weight of the match, saying, “Today, every single ball is breathtaking.” When the situation arose to defend Japan's attack in the bottom of the 8th inning, commentator Oh Seung-hwan joined the final battle on the mound, saying, “Even as I am watching, my mouth is getting dry. I want to give all my strength to player Park Young-hyun,” and adding, “I am more trembling and nervous now than when I was on the mound.” When the final out was recorded, caster Kim Na-jin expressed emotion, saying, “The Republic of Korea national team is the one that has defended the summit during the period of five consecutive Asian Games titles. Defending, which is the hardest thing to do, Korea has done it.” Commentator Jung Min-chul applauded the players' fighting spirit, saying, “You can cry today. I am proud of the Korean players.” Commentator Oh Seung-hwan offered sincere support that drew deep empathy from viewers, saying, “I want to choose player Cho Hyung-woo as the hidden MVP of today's match. He performed like a solid asset in both offense and defense.”

In the skateboard street final, Kang Jun-i perfectly executed world-class skills to win the first-ever Asian Games gold medal in South Korean skateboarding history. Caster Eom Ju-won roared, "It's an insurmountable level! The world's strongest Kang Jun-i has brought us the first gold medal in history," and commentator Jo Seong-u expressed emotion, saying, "He cleanly displayed the world's highest difficulty skills he possesses without regret." Valuable medal news continued in diving as well. In the women's synchronized 3m springboard final, the duo of Soo‐Ji Kim and Kim Na-hyun took the silver medal. Caster Kim Cho-rong and commentator Kim Hyeon-suk applauded the fighting spirit of the two players who overcame surgery and injury, conveying emotion by saying, "It is so relieving and we are proud that their skills were demonstrated as much as they worked hard." The duo of Shin Jeong-hwi and Kim Young-taek in the men's synchronized 10m platform final also added a bronze medal with fantastic chemistry, preserving the pride of South Korean diving.

On the 8th day of the competition, MBC, which was chosen by viewers for its deep expertise and unique wit in every major match, plans to deliver all the glorious moments of the Taeguk Warriors most vividly during the remaining period of the competition.

◆ At a Glance

· Publishing Institution : MBC

· Category : Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games

· Distribution : September 28, 08:55

Source : MBC Press Release

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