“Encounter” seems to be the best thing that has happened to tvN this year, as the show has broken the cable channel’s previous ratings record.

The pilot episode of the much-anticipated romance drama starring Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum came out on top in Wednesday night’s ratings battle, scoring a viewership rating of 9.4 percent, according to the TV audience measurement service TNmS.

To put things in perspective, “Encounter” debuted with a higher rating than the pilot episode of “Mr. Sunshine” which garnered a rating of 8.5 percent.

(tvN)

The show also beat SBS’ historical fantasy series “The Last Empress,” which aired at a similar time slot Wednesday night.

Prior to airing, “Encounter” drew attention for its star-studded cast and exotic filming location in Cuba.

During a press event last week, actor Park said, “Old and modern art coexist in the country, which came across as refreshing and exotic. As the country is full of music and dance, I think it made me feel more upbeat.”

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)