한국국제교류재단

The success of The Wonder Coach reflects a broader transformation in how sports are presented and consumed in Korea. For decades, Korean sports coverage largely focused on the country’s elite-oriented athletic culture. Broadcasters focused on a limited number of popular sports, while success was measured primarily through victories, rankings, and records.

Contemporary sports variety programs have adopted a different approach. Rather than concentrating solely on results, they emphasize the experiences that unfold behind them: the discipline required to train, the obstacles confronted by athletes, and the relationships that sustain them.

A significant turning point came in 2019 with KBS’s Into the World of Ssireum, which helped revive interest in this traditional Korean form of wrestling. At a time when the sport had largely receded from public attention, the program introduced a fresh narrative approach that highlighted both athletic competition and individual personalities.

Focusing on the Taebaek (under 80 kg) and Geumgang (under 90 kg) weight classes, the series combined the tension of competition with character-driven storytelling. Young athletes emerged as not just competitors but individuals whose ambitions, struggles, and personal appeal attracted dedicated followings. Innovative camerawork brought a new sense of immediacy to the matches, presenting ssireum in a way rarely seen in conventional broadcasts. Public enthusiasm grew rapidly and tickets for the championship sold out within minutes, although the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately prevented spectators from attending in person.

In the years that followed, sports variety programs increasingly shifted their attention toward the everyday realities of athletes’ lives. Personal challenges, friendships, and team dynamics became central elements of the narrative. Through sustained observation, these shows revealed what scoreboards never tell: players evolving alongside one another, and the team blossoming as a result.

A scene from Kick a Goal, in which female celebrities form football teams and compete in a league. The program helped popularize women’s football through its emphasis on teamwork and steady improvement.
© SBS

JTBC’s A Clean Sweep makes this case most clearly. Built around veteran baseball manager Kim Sungkeun and the competition between amateur players and retired pros, the program ran for 138 episodes between 2022 and 2025. Rather than relying on manufactured drama, it drew viewers through its sustained focus on competition, teamwork, and personal growth.

Women’s football has also benefited from this trend. SBS’s Kick a Goal, which premiered in 2021, introduced many viewers to a sport that had never been mainstream in Korea. Audiences followed not only the outcomes of matches but also the players’ visible growth in skill and confidence. tvN’s Iron Girls, first broadcast in 2024, adopted a comparable formula. Its first season followed four actors and singers as they trained for a triathlon, while the second documented their pursuit of an amateur boxing championship. In the upcoming third season, scheduled to premiere later this year, the cast members will take on short-track speed skating.

The Wonder Coach pushed this level of intimacy even further. Cameras positioned around the volleyball court and microphones worn by every player created an unusually immersive viewing experience. The series combined the immediacy of live sport with carefully crafted storytelling, allowing audiences to fol low the team’s development over the course of an entire season.

Personalities emerged, backstories deepened, and players once written off became the very figures worth rooting for. Viewers who had never given women’s volleyball much thought were won over by Kim’s coaching. Watching a former world-class player navigate a match and turn her instincts into results made the sport’s depth visible in a way conventional broadcasts rarely achieve. The appeal of women’s volleyball clicked into focus, and a fanbase that had been in steady decline sharply reversed course. Match attendance soared; when tickets for the Wonder Dogs’ final match went on sale, roughly 10,000 applications poured in within three days, resulting in a rapid sellout.

Extreme 84 follows webtoon artist Kian84 as he tackles some of the world’s most grueling marathons. The program focuses on perseverance and the challenge of pushing beyond personal limits.
© MBC

The influence of sports variety programming extends beyond viewership. Increasingly, it’s encouraging audiences to become participants themselves. Historically, public enthusiasm for sports in Korea tended to peak during major international competitions such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup. Popular sports dominated national attention, while many other disciplines remained largely outside the mainstream.

In recent years, however, sporting interests have become considerably more diverse. Sports variety shows have played an important role in that shift by making athletic pursuits more accessible and relatable. Watching is no longer enough; people want to participate.

Running reflects that shift most clearly. Already a common sight around the globe, serious recreational running is no longer a novelty in Korea. As participation expanded, marathons and other running events grew into major commercial and promotional occasions in their own right. TV stations have responded to this trend. MBC’s Extreme 84 follows webtoon artist Kian84 (Kim Hee-min) as he tackles some of the world’s most grueling races in locations ranging from the Republic of South Africa and France to the Arctic. While programs such as these Document extraordinary physical challenges, they also have a secondary effect: they inspire viewers to reach for their running shoes.

The same pattern can be observed across a range of sports. Programs centered on women athletes have expanded interest among women, helping to normalize their involvement in activities such as football, baseball, or boxing that were once perceived as predominantly the domains of men.

The growing reach of sports variety programming also coincides with the rise of fandom-driven cultural consumption. In professional baseball, for example, record attendance was driven in large part by a surge in young women spectators whose engagement extends beyond the games themselves. Sports variety shows have become an important component of this broader ecosystem. As audiences continue to seek both participation and emotional engagement, the genre appears poised to remain an influential force in shaping the country’s sporting culture.