Amidst the hustle and bustle, everyone bid farewell to 2015, and the clock ticked into 2016.
A new year had begun.
Yet the film crew of 'Autumn in My Heart' didn't even get a break for New Year's Day; they were still racing to finish filming the remaining episodes.
Because this urban emotional TV drama had truly blown up. Not only did it go viral online, but it also took the television drama market by storm, stunning countless people outside the showbiz circle and leaving them exclaiming in disbelief!
Haijin Satellite TV was even preparing to increase the weekend broadcast from two episodes to three.
Weekend dramas usually air during weekend time slots, typically two episodes per weekend, sometimes one, sometimes three.
Broadcasting three consecutive episodes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday often means one of two things: either the ratings are so bad the station wants to burn through purchased episodes quickly to make room for new content, often shifting time slots in the process.
Or, the opposite.
The ratings are so phenomenally good that audience demand and advertiser pressure become overwhelming.
Two episodes just aren't enough!
In such a case, airing three episodes in a row not only satisfies viewers but also generates massive revenue for the TV station.
With 'Autumn in My Heart' catching fire, the biggest beneficiary was undoubtedly Haijin Satellite TV, a network that previously had barely any market presence. The price of their opening and closing ads skyrocketed.
Previously, a 30-second TV ad during Haijin's weekend prime time slot (8:30–9:30 PM) was publicly priced at ¥3,000 per second, meaning a 15-second ad cost ¥45,000.
But that was just the listed rate. In reality, agents could get ads at half the price, around ¥1,200–¥1,500 per second. Long-term package deals could bring the cost down even further.
This pricing wasn't just lower than national giant CCTV; it was so low that even non-satellite local channels in Capital City could charge more.
Frankly, Haijin Satellite TV had long been eating scraps, unable to produce flagship shows or compete for hit dramas. They could only watch enviously while their peers feasted on top-tier content.
But 'Autumn in My Heart' turned out to be an unexpected jackpot. What they thought was a small find became a massive windfall, and profits soared.
On December 26 and 27, Episodes 5 and 6 aired and ratings shattered the 0.50% threshold, reaching 0.51% and 0.55%, respectively.
The people at Haijin Satellite TV absolutely lost their minds!
The Advertising Department reacted first. Faced with a swarm of advertisers, they didn't hesitate to raise rates, doubling the price for opening and closing ads. The opening ad slots were marked "sold out" almost instantly.
This was already the second price hike, yet still, everyone had underestimated the power of 'Autumn in My Heart'.
Then came January 2, 2016, Episode 7 of 'Autumn in My Heart' aired.
But the day before, Xiangnan Satellite TV, the titan among local networks, had launched its flagship New Year drama, 'Soaring Heart'.
This series was co-produced by Xiangnan TV and Hong Kong Satellite TV for the mainland market, featuring a star-studded cast from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even South Korea. The drama had 35 episodes and an investment of over ¥100 million. Shooting was already complete.
Once upon a time, Xiangnan Satellite TV had been the dual king of variety shows and dramas among regional stations. Its original productions and imported series had gained immense popularity, launching countless idol stars, and its ratings were so high that even CCTV took notice.
But in recent years, Xiangnan TV had faced unprecedented competition from its peers. Both its variety and drama offerings were being squeezed out of the market.
Its former glory of dominating national TV screens was long gone.
Of course, Xiangnan Satellite TV wasn't going to accept being dethroned so easily. 'Soaring Heart' was their grand comeback project, aimed at kicking off 2016 with a major bang!
With its deep pockets and powerful marketing channels, the star-studded, high-production-value 'Soaring Heart' came out of the gates with unstoppable momentum. Its debut episode scored a 0.52% rating, unmatched among its peers.
The show's producer even publicly declared:
"'Soaring Heart' breaking the 1% ratings barrier is no problem. Xiangnan Satellite TV is aiming for 1.5% to 2%!"
In today's television landscape, even for CCTV, a drama with an average nationwide rating above 0.5% is already considered a hit.
1% qualifies as a smash hit,
2% is considered a phenomenon,
and anything above that becomes a national-level drama.
Xiangnan TV's ambition was to turn 'Soaring Heart' into a smash hit, and aim straight for phenomenon status!
But on January 2nd, that very same day and time slot, 'Soaring Heart' clashed head-on with 'Autumn in My Heart'.
Collision of Titans!
On the morning of January 3rd, the official website of New Horizons saw a huge spike in traffic.
Countless viewers, including a large number of casual netizens, were anxiously awaiting the release of the latest ratings chart, to see the outcome of the direct showdown between 'Soaring Heart' and 'Autumn in My Heart'.
Before this, the general consensus in the entertainment industry was that although 'Autumn in My Heart' was an undeniable dark horse, now that it had run headfirst into Xiangnan TV's flagship drama, its momentum would surely be checked and suppressed.
Xiangnan TV had poured tens of millions into promoting 'Soaring Heart', launching a full-blown marketing blitz. The drama had backing from industry heavyweights, and a glittering ensemble of celebrities.
How could a low-budget tearjerker like 'Autumn in My Heart' possibly compete?
Some even gloated over its misfortune,
"If 'Autumn in My Heart' had aired just one month earlier and avoided going up against 'Soaring Heart', its final performance could've been much better. It might've even had a shot at becoming a smash hit."
Now, however, 'Soaring Heart' had clearly stolen the spotlight, and that would undoubtedly impact its ratings.
By 12 noon, the New Horizons website hit peak traffic.
The latest viewership rankings were updated, right on time:
'Soaring Heart':
0.57% / 0.52%, National Ranking: 002 / 003
'Autumn in My Heart':
1.01% / 0.55%, National Ranking: 001 / 001
Episode 2 of 'Soaring Heart' scored 0.57%, while Episode 7 of 'Autumn in My Heart' skyrocketed to 1.01%, taking first place in both the daily and weekly TV drama rankings.
Its ratings had nearly doubled compared to the previous episode!
How is this even possible?!
The entertainment world erupted in shock. Many couldn't believe it, some even suspected the New Horizons website had made a mistake.
'Soaring Heart' rising from 0.52% to 0.57% was perfectly normal, a modest gain and a decent success, even if it didn't yet meet Xiangnan TV's lofty expectations. Still, it had potential.
But 'Autumn in My Heart' jumping from 0.55% to 1.01%?
What kind of sorcery is that?!
Breaking the 1% barrier, no doubt about it,
It had become a certified smash hit!
Many industry insiders who had confidently predicted that 'Autumn in My Heart' would be crushed were now eating their words, hard.
And the slap to the face? Brutal. Absolutely brutal.
(End of chapter)
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