Ascendio Acquires “Jjanhanyeong Shin Dong-yeob” Producer Ballacom to Diversify Content Business

Ascendo, a comprehensive content company, is expanding its business into the YouTube and digital content sectors by acquiring Ballacom, the production company behind the popular web variety show "Jjanhan-hyung Shin Dong-yup." The company plans to create synergy by combining the production team's experience in large-scale variety projects and Ballacom's expertise in digital content production with its existing content business.

On September 29, Ascendo announced that it will acquire 100,000 shares of Ballacom for 7.5 billion won. According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, this acquisition amount accounts for 68.8% of Ascendo’s total assets. Upon completion of the transaction, Ascendo will secure a 100% stake in Ballacom.

The payment will be made using Ascendo’s available cash reserves. On September 29, the company paid a 2.5 billion won deposit, and it plans to pay the remaining 5 billion won by October 13.

Ballacom is a media content company established in 2024. It was co-founded by CEO Cho Seungwook, a former head of the entertainment division at JTBC, and producer Won Seungyeon, who directed "Music Bank" at KBS, among others. As of September 2026, Ballacom’s flagship YouTube channel "Jjanhan-hyung Shin Dong-yup" boasts 2.14 million subscribers and has accumulated 705,572,047 total views.

The production team’s experience in planning and producing variety content is seen as Ballacom’s major strength. CEO Cho Seungwook has participated for over 10 years in planning and producing every season of "Hidden Singer" from season 1 to season 8, as well as "Phantom Singer" from season 1 to season 4. Leveraging this expertise, Ballacom is diversifying its commercial business through various revenue models—including terrestrial broadcasting, YouTube digital content, global over-the-top (OTT) rights sales, and short-form viral content.

Ballacom is also working on new content production. The company plans to co-plan and produce a global variety talk show with Hive Media Corp, the producer of the film "12.12: The Day." This program will address values of a global crew by crossing borders and taboos, focusing on topics such as relationships, careers, culture, and lifestyle.

The company is also expanding its YouTube business. On June 5, Ballacom launched a joint project and official personal channel called "Gukbo Lee Suyeon" with Totalset, the agency of singer Lee Suyeon. Ballacom plans to introduce several new YouTube channels in the future as well.

Through this acquisition, Ascendo expects to expand its content business—previously centered on films and dramas—into the digital sphere. Ascendo has produced films like "The Outlaws" and "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil," as well as dramas such as "Such an Intimate Traitor" (aired on MBC) and "Queen's House" (aired on KBS).

An official from Ascendo stated, "Ascendo has been continuing its business as a content specialist centered on film and drama production, always seeking ways to diversify our business areas and generate synergy. Ballacom is successfully running 'Jjanhan-hyung Shin Dong-yup', and CEO Cho Seungwook's proven leadership on 'Hidden Singer,' along with his success on YouTube and OTT platforms and his vast professional network, are expected to create significant synergy with our existing businesses."

This acquisition is focused on diversifying Ascendo’s revenue models and platforms in the content business by combining its film and drama production capabilities with Ballacom’s experience in web variety and YouTube content creation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.