Netflix has signed an exclusive international licensing agreement with JTBC, a South Korean nationwide general cable TV and broadcasting company, for the network’s new Friday/Saturday TV series Man x Man, premiering on 21 April 2017.
Apart from being a Netflix original series, Man x Man is also Netflix’s first simulcast of a Korean drama in over 20 languages to millions of subscribers across the world. Except for Korea and the US, Man x Man will stream globally on Netflix the same time as it premiers on JTBC. In Korea, the series will be live on Netflix an hour after airing on JTBC; and in the U.S., Man x Man will be in two parts, each part comprising eight episodes each.
Man x Man is a new series directed by producer Chang-min Lee, who worked on popular K-drama series like Giant, Bride of the Sun, Birth of a Beauty, and Remember: War of the Son. The latter was written by Kim Won-seok, who was also recognized for co-writing Descendants of the Sun, one of the most successful K-drama series in 2016. Man x Man stars Park Hae-jin who has been known for roles in acclaimed works including My Love from the Star, Bad Guys, and Cheese in the Trap. The drama tells the story of Kim Seol Woo (played by Park Hae Jin), who becomes a ghost bodyguard for a top hallyu star, the secret "men" who surround him, and their mysterious exploits.
The global simulcast of Man x Man defines how the internet enables Netflix to put the focus on the consumer to bring a show from Korea to over 93 million subscribers across 190 countries in over 20 languages.
