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'Soshi Tam Tam' gets low ratings, Girls' Generation fans point out need for free content

However, the K-pop group's reunion reality show is the most talked about non-drama show for the last 3 weeks

Girls’ Generation was dubbed the ‘nation’s girl group’ and was considered one of the leading K-pop groups of the 2010s responsible for spreading the Hallyu Wave to the West. They have made history as the second girl group following the 1960s’ The Supremes for crossing 100 million physical and digital sales while also having a Guinness Record under their belt. And so, Knetizens were surprised when Girls’ Generation’s reunion reality show ‘Soshi Tam Tam’ got low TV ratings.

Girls’ Generation aka SNSD went on an unofficial hiatus in 2017 and it has taken them five years to reunite. Well, they are going all out for this comeback from releasing their seventh full-length album ‘Forever 1’, appearing on the variety show ‘Knowing Bros’ to also starring in their own reality show. Starved for content, fans were first excited when it was revealed Girls’ Generation would be going on a trip, playing games and completing missions on the reality show ‘Soshi Tam Tam’. However, it is only available on the Korean channel JTBC, the app TVING and has no English subtitles.

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‘Soshi Tam Tam’ gets low rating

‘Soshi Tam Tam’ premiered with much pomp as we finally got proper content of the girl group five years after their unofficial hiatus. Girls’ Generation has been trending and going viral for the smallest of things from their old Twitter bio to their new concept photos for ‘Forever 1’ as fans missed them. Even SHINee fans tuned in for the latest episode as Minho reunited with ‘Hello Baby’s Yoogeun, the little boy that the group had to take care of for a reality show. However, episode 4 recorded a low rating of 0.8% on JTBC.

But Good Data Corporation took in the social media buzz that the show has been creating and analysed that ‘Soshi Tam Tam’ was the #1 show for the last 3 weeks in the non-drama TV show category. With JTBC also only uploading a few clips without any English subtitles on their YouTube channel, international fans have not been able to watch Girls’ Generation’s show. SONEs (Girls’ Generation’s fandom) pointed out the need for free content like YouTube reality shows that other K-pop groups star in. Many even shared that they catch up on the show through those who are translating what is being said on ‘Soshi Tam Tam’.

‘That’s half a million people watching’

Fans felt that if accessibility had not been a problem, the ratings would not have been so low as evident from it being the most-talked-about reality show for the last 3 weeks. One SONE tweeted, “They dont understand their market. SM should just bring their reality show to Youtube for free!! 😭 everyone is literally accessing content from phone nowadays. thank God the fandom is so loyal and amazing to create a dedicated fans subtitle.”

Another posted, “Without promotion from their own company did thattt.” One fan felt the rating did not matter, “Even if the rating is low but they are legends and every idol agreed. some newbie kpoppies are really obsessed with rating, album sale, etc. as a sone I only care about they are back together for sone that matters.” A Knetz pointed out, “It's a program for fans to watch, who cares about ratings?” Another user shared, “Tbh though 0.8% of the country watching in real time is still a LOT. That’s like half a million people watching, in an age where tv watching is a thing of the past, that’s huge.”

One fan commented, “Rarely anybody watches TV anyways though, I prefer to just look at small clips on YouTube. They should've just made it a show on YT like F(x)'es F(x)=1CM.” Another observed, “Most fans internationally can’t watch this show bc most intl. fans don’t use cable anymore or don’t have the channel to watch the show so most of them watch clips on yt, koreans aswell say they don’t usually watch cable and alot of them watch clips on yt of watch on streaming services.” Another fan added, “Most people now watch varieties on youtube anyways.”

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