MBC Invests in Jaedam Media to Boost Content and IP Development

Image credit: MBC

Image credit: Jaedam Media

South Korean broadcaster MBC has made a strategic move to strengthen its content lineup by investing in Jaedam Media, a prominent webtoon and web novel production company.

Key Highlights of the Partnership

• MBC has taken an equity stake in Jaedam Media.
• The collaboration aims to jointly develop and commercialize intellectual properties (IPs) across various platforms — including dramas, webtoons, and digital media.
• Both companies will share existing IPs and work together on new content development.

About Jaedam Media

• Owns over 500 webtoon IPs, including popular titles like Weak Hero, Princess Hours, and My Lawyer, Mr. Jo.
• Boasts a talent pool of more than 300 creators.

Recent Success of Weak Hero

• The webtoon Weak Hero recently achieved notable success.
• Its live-action adaptation, Weak Hero Class 2, premiered on Netflix on April 25 and quickly gained popularity.
• The series topped the global non-English TV chart within three days of release, reaching the top 2 worldwide.
• Sales of the original webtoon increased by 20 times following the adaptation.

Future Plans

• MBC aims to secure priority access to Jaedam's webtoons for future adaptations.
• The company plans to utilize its in-house production capabilities to develop more diverse content beyond traditional broadcasting.
• Jaedam Media expects this partnership to enhance its ability to adapt IP into video formats and expand its global distribution.
• There are also plans to explore webtoon adaptations of MBC-owned dramas.

New Initiatives

• Launching a cross-format content competition involving drama, film, webtoons, and short-form media.
• The goal is to discover and develop new creators and original IPs.

Source: MBC — Jung-min You