SBS secured the top spot among Korean terrestrial broadcasters for viewership ratings and digital streaming performance during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which concluded on October 4, according to audience measurement data released by Nielsen Korea and digital metrics from network channels.
SBS Leads Prime-Time Ratings for International Sporting Event
During the 16-day international sporting event held across Japan from September 19 to October 4, SBS captured a prime-time target demographic average rating of 1.3 percent in the greater Seoul metropolitan area among viewers aged 20 to 49. Nielsen Korea figures show that MBC followed closely behind with a 1.2 percent average, while KBS1 registered 0.9 percent for the same primetime slot.
Out of the top 20 most-watched programs across jointly broadcast major events on terrestrial television, SBS coverage accounted for 10 entries. The network led simultaneous time-slot viewership across several high-profile sports, including baseball, fencing, badminton, and gymnastics. The baseball gold medal final between South Korea and Japan drew a metropolitan target demographic rating of 3.1 percent and a household rating of 6.7 percent on SBS. Meanwhile, the men’s basketball final also registered a 3.1 percent demographic rating, securing the third-highest position among sports broadcasts during the tournament.
SBS YouTube Clips Surpass 102.3 Million Views
Beyond traditional television broadcasts, SBS generated significant engagement across digital platforms. By 9:00 a.m. on October 4, cumulative views for 256 Asian Games-related video clips published via the official SBS Sports YouTube channels surpassed 102.3 million views.
Out of the published content library, 27 individual videos crossed the one-million-view threshold. The most-watched clip of the tournament was the men’s football quarterfinal match highlight between North Korea and Japan, which gathered 5.25 million views. On-the-ground, locally produced behind-the-scenes creator footage—featuring techball gold medalist Lee Jun-seok and badminton star An Se-young—also generated high view counts, illustrating strong digital interest in athlete-focused features.
Veteran Broadcast Lineup and National Standing
The network’s coverage relied on a prominent commentary roster featuring former national team athletes and established analysts. The roster included Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan, baseball figures Lee Dae-ho and Lee Soon-chul, badminton gold medalist Lee Yong-dae, table tennis champion Hyun Jung-hwa, football analyst Park Ju-ho, fencing champion Gu Bon-gil, and broadcaster Jun Hyun-moo covering archery.
The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games concluded after 16 days of competition involving athletes from across the continent. The South Korean national delegation completed the multi-sport event with a total medal count of 39 gold, 43 silver, and 68 bronze medals, securing a third-place finish in the overall medal standings.
