MBC hoping Song Stealer format can repeat The Masked Singer’s global success

Song Stealer was created by Harin Jang

South Korea’s MBC is targeting the international market with another singing competition format following the broadcaster’s success with global hit The Masked Singer.

Song Stealer is the latest shiny-floor music format from MBC, which began airing the show in May after a successful pilot episode.

The format sees cover artists aiming to ‘steal’ songs from their original performers, with both artists performing the song in front of a studio audience. The audience then votes on which version they prefer. If the cover artist receives more than 50% of the votes, they get the chance to release their cover of the song online.

Song Stealer creator and producer Harin Jang said the show has drawn in viewers in South Korea because songs can be interpreted in thousands of different ways. “Although Song Stealer is seemingly a competition show, the core goal of the show is to lead the audiences to relate to the music itself,” Jang said. “They get to enjoy a variety of singers performing each other’s songs in their own creative way.”

Song Stealer is now set to expand globally, having been optioned by undisclosed partners in Australia and four markets in Europe, according to MBC.

The move comes after MBC’s The Masked Singer was the most licensed format in the world between 2019 and 2023, according to Ampere Analysis, with MBC claiming the show has now aired in 58 countries.