Despite the opposing statement from MBC drama department PDs, the scheduling of 'Casino' has been finalized.
On the 28th, MBC announced, "We will be specially scheduling the drama series 'Casino', which has garnered attention on the global OTT platform Disney+, starting in July."
Regarding the decision to schedule 'Casino', which was released in 2023, a broadcasting official stated, "MBC aims to provide viewer services centered on content. After our first collaboration with a global OTT, we confirmed that there are still many viewers who missed out on experiencing a mega hit. We want to expand viewers' content choices through strategic curation of verified works."
'Casino' is a crime action story depicting the intense life of Cha Mu-sik (played by Choi Min-sik), a man who became a legend in the casinos of the Philippines without money or connections, as he gets embroiled in a murder case and begins a life-or-death final bet.
Scheduling content that has already been released on OTT platforms is considered an effective choice in terms of profitability. It incurs no planning or production costs, and by securing content that has been proven popular, it can also expect good viewership ratings. Consequently, advertising revenue is expected to increase. This can also be seen as part of a 'strategic scheduling' approach in light of the declining profitability of terrestrial broadcasters.
However, there was significant internal conflict at MBC regarding the scheduling. Although it is not the first time a Disney+ drama has been scheduled on MBC, there are reasons for the internal backlash.
In January, MBC had already scheduled the Disney+ original 'Moving'. While 'Moving' aired on Sunday nights, 'Casino' is scheduled for the regular drama slot on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 PM. As a result, MBC's own production drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' has been postponed to next year.
In April, 53 PDs from MBC's drama department issued a statement condemning the unilateral scheduling of 'Casino' without the consent of the MBC Drama Headquarters.
They stated, "The drama lineup is not decided unilaterally by the Drama Headquarters," and revealed the current process for determining the drama lineup. According to the statement, since 2021, the drama competitiveness committee, chaired by the vice president, has been deciding the drama lineup after consultations with content strategy, distribution, and related departments, aiming to improve profitability. Concerns about infringement on production autonomy were also raised during this process.
Despite the 2025 drama lineup already being confirmed for 2024, the content strategy department proposed adding 'Casino' to the July Friday-Saturday drama slot in March. Although the Drama Headquarters clearly expressed opposition, the management pushed ahead with the scheduling.
The MBC Drama Headquarters pointed out, "While unilateral notification without consultation is a serious issue, this decision is even more serious as it involves postponing a drama that was originally scheduled for production to next year, artificially achieving a surplus in this year's budget." They particularly expressed strong opposition, questioning, "Is MBC trying to become a rebroadcasting channel for Disney+?"
They also stated, "The sudden scheduling of 'Casino' is an act that undermines the workforce of production staff," and expressed anger, saying, "The management's decision to schedule 'Casino' destroys the trust that has been painstakingly built up and undermines the flow of MBC drama recovery."
The demands from the members of the MBC Drama Headquarters included ▲ a comprehensive review of the scheduling of 'Casino', ▲ ensuring the Drama Headquarters' substantial authority in deciding the drama lineup, and ▲ reconsidering the practice of budget decisions centered on profitability.
Despite the internal backlash, the scheduling of 'Casino' ultimately went ahead, and as feared, the scheduling of 'Judge Lee Han-young' has been pushed to next year.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
