Hospital Playlist” Sees 278% Surge in Viewership Five Years After Premiere

Hospital Playlist first aired in 2020 and quickly captivated viewers with its weekly Thursday night broadcasts. Unlike conventional medical dramas, it attracted a new audience with warm storytelling and human-centered narratives. Although set in a hospital, it avoided heavy tones and focused on character-driven stories.

“Hospital Playlist” Proves the Success of Seasonal Dramas

The series reunited director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung, who previously worked on “Prison Playbook”. This time, the setting shifted from a prison to a hospital, but the focus remained on deep character relationships and life stories.

At the center of the drama are five friends who entered Seoul National University Medical School together in 1999: Lee Ik-jun (general surgeon), Ahn Jeong-won (pediatric surgeon), Yang Seok-hyeong (OB-GYN), Kim Jun-wan (cardiothoracic surgeon) and Chae Song-hwa (neurosurgeon). Though they work in different departments, they reunite at the hospital, sharing their work and friendship.

While medical topics are addressed, the drama’s true focus lies in the relationships and decisions of the characters. It touches on life-and-death situations, family stories and ethical dilemmas, all while maintaining a comforting and warm tone.

A particularly memorable element was the band scenes, where the characters play instruments and sing together after work. One of these songs, “I Knew I Love” sung by Jeon Mi-do, even topped music charts, creating buzz beyond the drama itself.

Spin-Off Also a Hit: Franchise Strategy Gains Momentum

Season 2, released in 2021, also received great attention. The final episode surpassed 14% nationwide viewership, maintaining the momentum of its predecessor. The franchise achieved both high ratings and topicality, establishing a new model for seasonal dramas.

Released after a four-year hiatus, “Resident Playbook” functions as a spin-off. Though the cast is different, it retains the same universe, sparking viewers’ curiosity. Ratings continued to rise throughout the series, with the finale recording 8.1%.

This shows that OTT platforms are moving beyond the race for new titles, increasingly building long-term consumption models around established IPs.

In addition to “Hospital Playlist”, TVING also recently drew attention with ENA’s “New Recruit 3”. Upon its release, it reignited interest in Seasons 1 and 2, proving the power of franchise-driven viewing habits.

According to TVING, Season 1 saw a 278% increase, and Season 2 jumped 219% in viewership. This clearly shows that the release of a new installment drives audience interest in previous seasons—proving the effectiveness of franchise IP in content consumption.

TVING stated that it plans to further reinforce its franchise IP strategy built around seasonal dramas. The platform aims to encourage viewing of both new and legacy content in a linked format to differentiate itself in the competitive OTT market.