It begins in the outfield.
On streaming platform TVING, “Love at First Hit” pairs fans of rival baseball teams for dates at live Korea Baseball Organization games. Mutual choices lead to romance, while a one-sided choice earns the person chosen a season ticket.
Contestants may leave with love, baseball tickets or neither.
The pairing appears to be paying off. The show’s contribution to new subscriptions rose 68 percent in its second week, according to TVING. Viewing time increased 25 percent and unique viewers climbed 8 percent.
It is also drawing men into the dating-show audience. Those in their 20s and 30s accounted for 30 percent of viewers, while men in their 40s made up 15 percent — the highest proportion for that age group among TVING’s major titles.
For producers, the lesson is increasingly clear. Bringing strangers together is no longer enough. Viewers need another reason to watch.
South Korea’s crowded dating-show market has already worked through former couples, divorced singles, siblings joining the same cast and adults who have never dated. By mid-2026, more than 50 Korean dating reality shows and seasons had been released.
Even established franchises are struggling to sustain their appeal. “Heart Signal 5” remained below 1 percent in national television ratings through its first 11 episodes, according to Nielsen Korea. Its predecessor ended at 3.05 percent in 2023.
The retreat extends beyond Korea. Scripted productions accounted for 83 percent of new romance commissions in the first half of 2026, compared with a roughly even split between scripted and reality romance in late 2022, according to Ampere Analysis.
Audiences have not fallen out of love with love. The research firm found that 49 percent of people aged 18 to 24 enjoyed romance content in early 2026, unchanged from 2020.
The harder task is making another round of dates, confessions and rejections feel fresh.
“Love at First Hit” starts with an audience already invested in something else. Baseball rivalries give fans a reason to tune in before they care who ends up together.
Kwak Keum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University, said competing loyalties can also make the relationships more compelling.
“We live in a highly polarized society, and even political views can become a source of tension in relationships,” Kwak told AJP. “Compared with the past, these differences may feel more realistic and relatable to viewers.”
Music and sports offer other ready-made fan bases. Mnet Plus launched “Rapper’s Girlfriend: KISS or DISS” on Aug. 7, bringing rappers from the hip-hop competition “Show Me the Money” into a contest in which five men pursue one woman.
Disney+ has announced “Love Training Camp” for 2027, pairing male and female athletes through physical challenges and romantic encounters.
Japan’s Netflix series “Badly in Love” takes a more provocative route. It draws on “yankii” culture, associated with rebellious youth and delinquent groups, with a cast that includes former motorcycle gang members and people with ties to organized crime.
Its first season reached No. 8 on Netflix’s global chart for non-English series and entered the Top 10 in South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“People are exposed to so much information that they increasingly want something more stimulating,” Kwak said. “When a show offers something they have never seen before, it can make them curious enough to watch.”
Curiosity, however, does not guarantee affection.
“I couldn’t even finish the first episode. I find it irritating when reality shows feel staged,” said Lee Seung-jin, 32, of Seoul.
He preferred “I Am Solo,” which follows ordinary singles seeking relationships, because it felt more realistic.
The Japanese show also ran into controversy at home. Japan’s Ministry of Justice withdrew a rehabilitation campaign featuring Season 2 contestants in August after criticism that it could glorify criminal behavior and was insensitive to victims, according to the ministry.
American producers are experimenting with different complications. Netflix’s “Age of Attraction,” released in March, brought together singles without revealing their ages and reached the Top 10 in 26 countries.
The platform is also recruiting for “Weight to Date,” about dating during and after major weight loss. Another planned series, “Playing with Matches,” asks couples to conceal their relationships while identifying other secret pairs.
Yet novelty need not mean greater spectacle.
South Korea’s “Better Late Than Single” finds its drama in adults navigating their first relationships. Its debut season topped Netflix’s weekly television rankings in South Korea in July 2025, while the second entered the global non-English Top 10 following its release this July.
“People watch reality shows because they want to see something real,” Kwak said. “Some may be willing to overlook a little staging, but for now, authenticity still matters. Once viewers feel it is fake, the appeal can quickly fade.”
A baseball rivalry or an unusual cast may get viewers through the first episode. Whether they stay still depends on believing the romance.
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