"Legend of the Blue Sea" continued its reign over Wednesday and Thursday primetime dramas with double-digit ratings close to breaking the 20 percent mark. With Lee Min Ho's popularity, the SBS series also topped viewership charts in various countries.
The SBS fantasy mermaid drama "Legend of the Blue Sea" marked Lee's return to the small screens after a nearly three-year TV drama hiatus. With a star-studded cast that included "My Sassy Girl" actress Jun Ji Hyun, South Korean drama lovers from around the world have been avidly following the said series episodes.
Aired in pay channels such as Sony One, Lee's drama is the most watched program during its time slot in various Asian countries. Compared to other Korean wave or Hallyu channels, "Legend of the Blue Sea" registered a viewership share of 92 percent and 82 percent in Malaysia and Singapore, respectively, according to OSEN.
In the Philippines, the internet TV service iflix posted doubled subscription numbers when it began airing the SBS drama. Of the said company's numerous new subscribers, around 20 percent watched "Legend of the Blue Sea" once their iflix access were granted.
Moreover, Lee's fantasy mermaid series reached a cumulative view of 112 million on China's internet TV service iQIYI. The drama also posted impressive viewership levels in Taiwan with an average view count of 140,000 per episode.
Meanwhile, "Legend of the Blue Sea" retained its top spot in the TV rating race against South Korean competitor dramas. Episodes 9 and 10 posted nationwide TV ratings of 16.6 percent and 17.5 percent, respectively, according to Nielsen Korea.
Released on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15, the two episodes' viewership shares across South Korea's metropolitan area also inched closer to the coveted 20 percent viewership mark. Episode 9 reached 18.8 percent, while episode 10 registered a 19.3 percent TV rating.
"Legend of the Blue Sea" airs every Wednesday and Thursday on SBS. Watch a clip from episode 10 below: