What Was the Most Rewatched Performance Last Year?

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] Ticket reservation platform Interpark conducted a survey on the status of ‘N-time viewers’ (hereinafter referred to as revolving door viewers), who repeatedly watch the same musical performance multiple times, based on reservation records from last year. The survey revealed that the usage rate among women in their 20s was overwhelmingly high. The musical with the highest number of N-time viewings was ‘Frankenstein.’

Last year, approximately 1.39 million people booked musicals through Interpark. Among them, about 175,000 people reserved tickets for the same performance two or more times, accounting for 12.6%. Breaking down these 175,000 viewers by the number of viewings, ▲2-time viewers accounted for the largest share at 57.3%, ▲3-time viewers 17.3%, ▲6 to 10-time viewers 8.6%, ▲4-time viewers 8.4%, and ▲5-time viewers 4.8%. Viewers who watched 11 times or more accounted for 3.7%.

Meanwhile, the number of viewers who watched three or more times, indicating a clearer intention of re-watching, increased from about 50,000 in 2020 to approximately 75,000 in 2021, marking a 50% increase. This phenomenon suggests that despite the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the fan base of musical enthusiasts has expanded further.

Regarding gender ratio, women accounted for 90.7%, and men 9.3%, showing a dominant female presence. Considering that the overall gender ratio of musical ticket buyers on Interpark in 2021 was 77.1% female and 22.9% male, the tendency of fans to watch the same musical multiple times is a distinctive characteristic among women.

By age group, revolving door musical viewers were most numerous in their 20s at 41.4%, followed by 30s at 36.7%, 40s at 16%, and 50s and above at 5.9%. Specifically, women in their 20s made up the largest share at 38.8%, followed by women in their 30s at 33.2%.

The musical with the highest number of revolving door viewers among large theater musicals was confirmed to be ‘Frankenstein.’ It was followed by ‘Hedwig’ in second place, ‘Wicked Seoul Performance’ in third, ‘Dracula’ in fourth, and ‘Excalibur’ in fifth.

Among small and medium theater musicals, ‘Wild Gray’ attracted the most revolving door viewers, followed by ‘Pirates’ in second place, ‘Gyeongjong Revision Chronicles’ in third, ‘Brothers Karamazov’ in fourth, and ‘La R?volution’ in fifth, all of which triggered many viewers to re-watch.

Lee Dong-hyun, head of Interpark’s Performance Consulting Team, said, “Through this survey, we confirmed that despite the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the willingness of musical fans to watch performances has not diminished; rather, the number of N-time viewers who watch the same work multiple times has increased. These viewers have been a great support to the musical industry.” He added, “Viewers who repeatedly watch the same work tend to choose performances based on their own distinct tastes rather than popularity, which is why there is a high preference for small and medium theater productions.”