The winner of Netflix's Physical 100 season 1 earned 300 million won, but how much is that in USD? Physical 100 is a South Korean reality competition series that brings together an assortment of diverse athletes, pitting them against each other in a battle for the first place spot. The overall goal of the show is to find the "perfect" body among the competitors who range from Olympians to personal trainers. Most of the season 1 competitors stated that their main motivation to win was to demonstrate their abilities or share their respective sport, but the prize money was highly sought after as well.Most American reality competition shows have offered increasingly high cash awards to their winners. Big Brother, for example, boasts a $750,000 cash prize for the first-place winner. Likewise, The Challenge's total prize money has risen to $1 million, usually split between the first-place team. Although a higher cash prize may motivate players to strive for victory, it could also be argued that it puts too much pressure on competitors and causes them to lose sight of the goal. Physical 100 offered a substantial prize of 300 million South Korean won, but how much is that in USD?
The Physical 100 Total Prize Money Could Be Life-Changing
Currently, the equivalent of 300 million won is roughly $230,309 USD, though the number fluctuates some due to exchange rates. The conversion of South Korean won to United States dollars was a pressing question for many viewers, an indication of how successful Physical 100 has been outside of South Korea. According to Netflix, the show is currently in the top 10 for non-English TV across 68 countries. Considering the grueling challenges Physical 100 competitors had to undergo along the way to the final, the first-place winner more than earned the life-changing amount of won.
Physical 100 Contestants Were Fighting For More Than The Money
Many players spoke about wanting to earn the money in order to accomplish personal goals, like opening a CrossFit gym or providing for their family in the case of those who had young children or aging parents. For some of the professional athletes on the show, winning was less about the cash prize and more about proving that they were well-rounded athletes who could excel outside their chosen sport. Some even wanted to spread awareness about the lesser-known sports they compete in, like Physical 100's Yun Sung-bin, who educated viewers on skeleton racing.
Although Physical 100 has not yet been renewed for season 2 by Netflix, the massive popularity of the show demonstrates how invested audiences became in rooting for their favorite competitors to take home the ultimate prize and title. Physical 100 may even encourage those who enjoy American reality competition TV to branch out and try other international series, which would allow viewers to explore more of the differences in culture and currency between America and other countries. For now, audiences can stream all of Physical 100 season 1 on Netflix.
Source: Netflix