Television boxtop ratings are still important but less so now that online streaming of television shows, not to mention the ease of DVR recording and other alternate forms of consumption. The changing landscape means the unlikelihood of K-dramas garnering 50% ratings ever again, and honestly most are now averaging in the low teens to high single digits during its run. But the proliferation of social networking means shows may have greater, or just alternate forms, of impact.

CJ E&M partnered with AGB Nielsen in Korea to assess the CPI (Content Power Index) of all the 2014 K-dramas and the top two most influential dramas were alien-actress love story You From Another Star on SBS followed by tvN‘s realistic office drama Misaeng. The CPI number calculates viewer response to a show to determine influence based on: topic of interest (how many news articles), audience response (search rankings), SNS involvement, and the like. I actually agree with the full list for the year and CPI remains the intangible yet powerful other gauge for a show’s success. Continue reading →