Backstreet Rookie the first Korean TV series invested in by global media group A+E Networks®, has found fans both internationally as well as on Lifetime® Korea and on SBS Korea since its premiere in June. 

It is being aired as an SBS Korea Friday-Saturday primetime drama in Korea and ranks No. 1 in viewer ratings among all mini-series in Korea in its timeslot. In its second window on Lifetime, it ranks first in the same time slot for cable viewing in multiple key demo targets (Male and Female) every week. The show recorded the highest ratings of 2020 for Lifetime in its target demo (women aged 25-39). With Backstreet Rookie as the anchor, Lifetime’s mix of local dramas and global shows have found an expanded viewership of 186 percent over the same period last year. (as per Nielsen Korea).

According to iQIYI, which simultaneously airs the show globally ex-Japan and Mainland China, Backstreet Rookie was consistently rated as the top TV series from its 1st to 10th episode in Asia markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam etc. It also made it to the top among 30 Korean TV series aired on the platform during the first half of the year.

The amazing chemistry of lead actors Ji Chang-wook (as Choi Dae-hyun) and Kim Yoo-jung (as Jung Saet-byul), has led to high praise for their performances. The series is also the most talked-about program (according to iQIYI’s social media pages) in online communities that obsess over Korean dramas. 

The show is the first Korean TV series invested in by global media group A+E Networks and produced by Taewon Entertainment. It is simultaneously aired globally on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00 p.m. (except for China and Japan) by the Korean broadcasting company SBS and iQIYI, the world’s largest OTT platform. In Japan, the local OTT platform U-NEXT has acquired broadcasting rights. Viewers can also watch the show on the Lifetime channel in Korea.

Youngsun Soh, General Manager, A+E Networks Korea said, “We are very pleased that the first premium Korean drama, “Backstreet Rookie” produced and invested by A+E Networks, has fulfilled the expectations of fans who were familiar with the webtoon. We will continue to look for drama opportunities that satisfy fans from around the world, works for our production partners, and serves to grow the Lifetime brand in Korea.”