How Park Ji-hoon’s Role in ‘The King’s Affection’ Boosted OTT Subscriptions: A Deep Dive into Streaming Trends
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| Park Ji-hoon, Wavve app banner related to Park Ji-hoon / Photo=DB, provided by Wavve |
[Sports Today reporter Song O-jeong] Actor Park Ji-hoon’s tearful turn has become a boon for the OTT market.
As the film \”The Man Who Lives with the King\” crossed the 10 million admissions mark, attention on Park Ji-hoon—who portrays the deposed prince Lee Hong-wi—has intensified. Online communities and social media have been flooded with memes about Park, and that buzz has driven renewed interest in his back catalog, producing a clear spillover effect for streaming platforms that offer catch-up viewing.
\”The Man Who Lives with the King\” adapts the story of Lee Hong-wi (Park Ji-hoon), exiled to Cheongnyeongpo in 1457, and Um Heung-do (Yu Hae-jin), the local official charged with overseeing the exile site. Directed by Jang Hang-joon, the film opened on Feb. 4 and, propelled by strong word-of-mouth, surpassed 10 million admissions on March 6.
Critics say Park Ji-hoon’s poignant performance was central to that success. He conveyed Lee Hong-wi’s tangled emotions with restraint and depth; his tearful scenes earned widespread praise and helped sustain the film’s box-office momentum.
The movie’s popularity has pushed Park Ji-hoon’s earlier projects back up the charts on Wavve. The 2024 drama Hwansang Yeonga, headlined by Park, rose to No. 2 among Wavve titles that drove new paid sign-ups. Wavve data show the metric for driving new paid subscriptions increased 53.3% week-on-week during March 2–8.
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| ‘Weak Hero’ Class 1, 2 rankings / Photo = provided by Tudum |
Another title, Meolliseo Bomyeon Pureunbom (2021), also ranked sixth among shows driving new paid sign-ups. Analysts say it’s unusual for a five-year-old series to climb a list typically dominated by recent hits, and the show’s Wavve-exclusive status likely contributed to its resurgence.
The film’s success has expanded interest across Park’s filmography, translating into increased rewatching and new viewer inflows on OTT platforms.
Not only Wavve but Netflix also benefited from Park Ji-hoon’s resurgence. His flagship series \”Weak Hero\” Class 1 and 2 reentered the charts: according to Netflix’s Tudum site, the \”Weak Hero\” series landed at No. 8 and No. 10 on Netflix Korea’s Top 10 for March 2–8, underscoring Park’s market pull.
[Sports Today reporter Song O-jeong ent@stoo.com]
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