Three Meals a Day (tvN)

Cable channel tvN’s top two reality shows, “Three Meals a Day,” and “Youth Over Flowers,” now boast the most expensive 15-second commercial slot among Korean television programs.

It surpassed the amount of commercial fees on major networks such as MBC, SBS and KBS. For now, the commercial spot for KBS’s hit drama, “All About My Mom” is the costliest among shows aired on the three terrestrial broadcasters -- with a price of around 15.3 million won.

Reply 1988 (tvN)

TvN’s MVP of the year, “Reply 1988,” with a viewership of 19.6 percent for its final episode, had a price of 22.5 million won. The drama profited approximately 17 billion won just from the commercial fees.

Cable channel commercials in South Korea differ from commercials broadcast on mainstream television, since there are two or three 60 second commercial breaks in-between a show.

Notable TV programs from MBC and SBS, such as “Infinite Challenge,” and “Running Man,” all fell below tvN’s dynamic duo, when judged solely on their fees for commercial spots.

“Commercial packaging,” is also prominent at all broadcasting companies. The system only allows companies to broadcast their commercials through purchasing spots on less popular programs in ties with the popular one.

Youth Over Flowers (tvN)

The “Youth Over Flowers,” and “Three Meals A Day” package includes 200 million won worth of an item called “Position in Break (PIB),” which allows companies to place their commercials in the order they favor.

An associate in the advertising industry revealed that most in-demand shows of the moment such as “Three Meals a Day” offers a package price of 300 million won that allows advertisers to broadcast their commercials once a month -- if they’re lucky.

By Jung Min-kyung (mkj1105@heraldcorp.com)