CJ ENM Tops TIME’s 2024 K-Drama Ranking
TIME magazine’s 2024 list of the “10 Best K-Dramas” features five dramas from CJ ENM, solidifying the company’s position at the forefront of global K-drama success
CJ ENM dramas have expanded beyond borders and are gaining international acclaim for their outstanding K-content.
In TIME’s list of “The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024,” CJ ENM’s productions dominated the rankings, claiming the top two spots and securing five dramas in the top 10. The magazine highlighted Korean-style storytelling as a key strength of K-content, adding, “2024 in K-drama land was the year of the underdog, in which the best series were not often the flashiest shows.”
While most K-dramas recognized by the magazine were released on Netflix, this year’s list featured dramas from a diverse range of streaming platforms. A CJ ENM representative explained that the company’s strategy of distributing its content across various global streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Rakuten Viki, has been effective in expanding the valuation of its intellectual properties (IPs) and driving global market growth.
The five CJ ENM dramas selected were released on the following streaming platforms: Rakuten Viki (No. 1, “Lovely Runner”), Disney+ (No. 2, “Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born”), Paramount+ (No. 7, “Pyramid Game”) and Amazon Prime Video (No. 8, “Marry My Husband” / No. 9, “Death’s Game”).
“Lovely Runner,” written by Lee Si-eun and directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Tae-yeop, has become the most talked-about drama of 2024. Produced by CJ ENM Studios and Bon Factory, the series was honored with the top spot on TIME magazine’s “The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024.”
“It didn’t have the industry’s biggest budgets or its most high-profile stars. Instead, it had a good, well-executed story,” commented TIME magazine. The series has also gained recognition in Europe, ranking second in British pop culture outlet NME’s “The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024” list, where reviewers highlighted how it “balanced out the clichés.” On Rakuten Viki, “Lovely Runner” has ranked first for six consecutive weeks in 109 countries, including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, Brazil and Mexico.
The second spot on TIME’s list of the best K-dramas of 2024 was awarded to “Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born,” directed by Jung Ji-in and written by Choi Hyo-bi. The drama was produced by Studio Dragon, STUDIO N, Management mmm and npio entertainment. As the first Korean drama to feature a female-led gukgeuk (traditional Korean theatrical art), the series has revived the forgotten charm of traditional Korean theater music, especially for those within the performing arts industry. According to a survey by the analytics company Gallup Korea, it was the most preferred program among Korean audiences in October. Additionally, online mentions of “gukgeuk” surged fivefold, increasing from around 600 in September to approximately 3,000 within just one month.
TVING’s original series “Pyramid Game,” by Park So-yeon and written by Choi Soo-yi, was created by Lee Jae-gyu and produced by Film Monster and CJ ENM Studios. The series, which aired on TVING, was listed as No. 7 on TIME magazine’s list of the best K-dramas of 2024. Earlier, NME described “Pyramid Game” as a “worthwhile thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat,” ranking No. 6 on their list of the best K-dramas of 2024. The series was also the only Korean production invited to Series Mania 2024, a prestigious international festival for television series in France held in March. There, it was praised for its unique and captivating world-building, standout performances from emerging actors and skilled directing.
“Marry My Husband,” written by Shin Yu-dam and directed by Park Won-guk and Han Jin-sun, was produced by Studio Dragon and DK E&M. It ranked No. 8 and made history by becoming the first K-drama to achieve the No. 1 spot in the daily TV show rankings on Amazon Prime Video. “Marry My Husband”, which was also named the No. 3 K-drama of 2024 by NME, achieved strong results not only in Asia, traditionally a stronghold for K-drama viewership, but also in the U.S. (No. 2), Canada (No. 3), France (No. 2) and the U.K. (No. 3). The series set a record by remaining in the global TV show weekly rankings’ TOP 10 for 27 consecutive weeks, even after its conclusion.
TVING’s original series “Death’s Game,” directed and written by Ha Byung-hoon, produced by SLL, STUDIO N, SARAM ENTERTAINMENT and aired on TVING, was ranked No. 9 on TIME magazine’s list of the best K-dramas of 2024. In January, following the release of Part 2, it surged to No. 2 in the global ranking for Amazon Prime Video TV shows, according to FlixPatrol. In March, the series re-entered the TOP 10 on Amazon Prime Video in multiple regions.
This year, CJ ENM’s No.1 K-content channel tvN achieved its highest-ever prime-time viewership ratings in the first half of 2024 in Korea driven by a string of successful hits, based on viewers of ages 20-49 nationwide. Additionally, according to K-content competitiveness analysis agency FUNdex, tvN dramas also dominated the topical ratings in the drama category in the first half of the year.
Industry experts say CJ ENM has sparked a renaissance in TV dramas amid an era of media platform diversification. The company has also been recognized for successfully expanding the value of its content library, including distribution across broadcast channels and various global streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Japan’s U-Next.