"Infinite Challenge" Hiatus Causes MBC To Lose Approximately 2 Billion Won

MBC is facing losses that total up to 2 billion won (approximately $1.7 million) since “Infinite Challenge” went on a seven-week hiatus.

According to a source from the advertising industry, MBC’s advertising revenue for the time slot taken up by “Infinite Challenge” dropped to half of its usual revenue after the program went on a break. This unfavorable situation is expected to continue until the program is back up and running.

Normally, “Infinite Challenge” easily sells out all of its 40 advertising slots for every episode. Assuming that a 15-second advertisement costs 13.5 million won (approximately $11,800) during the weekend’s prime time, each episode brings in 540 million won (approximately $471,500) in advertisement sales.

However, the special program filling in for “Infinite Challenge,” titled “Forty’s Spring,” (tentative title) is only popular enough to bring in half the usual advertising revenue. In contrast with 11 to 15 percent viewer ratings from “Infinite Challenge,” the new program gathered only 5 to 6 percent and came in last in the ratings ranking for its time slot. As a three-part program, “Forty’s Spring” will air its third and last episode on February 11, and the remaining four weeks of the break will be filled in with a rerun of the most popular episodes of “Infinite Challenge.”

If “Infinite Challenge” had not gone on hiatus, it would have gathered 3.8 billion won (approximately $3.3 million) in advertising revenue in seven weeks. The number would actually be much bigger when considering income from product placement and sponsors, but ultimately, with the 50 percent losses in ads, MBC ended up losing 2 billion won (approximately $1.7 million).

Meanwhile, MBC previously explained that the purpose of the show’s hiatus was to give the staff time to normalize the processes necessary to produce the show.

While you wait for “Infinite Challenge” to resume broadcasting, watch the latest episode below!

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