Universe Ticket () is a 2023–2024 South Korean reality competition show created by SBS. It was intended to form an eight-member girl group with a contract of 2 years and 6 months. The final group, UNIS, debuted under F&F Entertainment, a newly established entertainment company related to the clothing brand of the same name, F&F. The show aired on SBS TV from November 18, 2023, to January 17, 2024, every Friday at 18:00 (KST) for the first episode, then changed to 17:00 (KST) time slot for the second episode, before it changed to Wednesday (December 6) at 22:40 (KST) onwards.
A second season named Universe League features an all male contestants with a different format that aired starting November 2024.
Production
Conception and development Universe Ticket is a South Korean reality television show that features 82 contestants competing for a chance to debut in a global K-pop girl group. The program includes a series of missions and evaluations designed to assess the participants' singing, dancing, and overall performance abilities. The competition will ultimately result in the selection of eight final members, who will form a project-based girl group aimed at promoting to a global audience. The group will be active under a contract of 2 years and 6 months. The group formed through the show will carry out activities in both the real world and the metaverse, incorporating virtual content and digital fan interactions as part of their official promotions. This dual concept reflects the increasing integration of technology and entertainment within the K-pop industry. The first teaser for the show was released on March 2, 2023. Further details about the format, mentors, and broadcast schedule were gradually revealed leading up to the show's official premiere.
Casting In January 2023, it was initially announced that the show would feature trainees between the ages of 10 and 19. However, when the official audition recruitment began in March 2023, the eligibility criteria were adjusted to allow any girls born before 2011 to apply. The application period for auditions ran from March 2 to May 14, 2023. After the application phase closed, successful applicants were individually notified between June 1 and June 10, 2023.
The profiles of the selected 82 contestants were introduced to the public through teaser videos released in two batches, on July 13 and July 17, 2023. These teasers served as an initial presentation to help viewers begin to familiarize themselves with the participants through their visuals, allowing fans to form early impressions of the participants ahead of the show's premiere.
On August 21, 2023, it was officially announced that several well-known K-pop artists would join the program as mentors. These included Kim Se-jeong, a former member of I.O.I and Gugudan; Hyoyeon of Girls' Generation; Yeji and Chaeryeong of Itzy; and solo artists Younha and Adora. Their involvement was confirmed ahead of the show's premiere as part of the main mentorship lineup.
During the show, the mentors were assigned specific roles based on their areas of expertise. Kim Se-jeong, Younha, and Adora served as vocal judges, while Rian of dance crew LaChica joined as the dance judge. Hyoyeon took on the role of rap judge. Yeji and Chaeryeong participated as celebrity mentors, offering general guidance and support to the contestants. Additionally, Jang Sung-kyu appeared as the emcee during Episode 10.
Competition format and voting
The show centers on 82 contestants competing in a series of missions for the opportunity to debut in a global K-pop girl group. Eight finalists are ultimately selected to form a project group aimed at international audiences, with activities conducted both in the real world and the metaverse. The competition begins with Battle Week, where contestants engage in a 1-on-1 battle using their audition songs. Higher-ranked contestants (1st–41st) choose opponents from the lower half (42nd–82nd), with performances evaluated on vocal ability, dance precision, and stage presence. A Revenge Battle follows, offering a second chance through team-based competition between "Winners" and "Challengers," with only four members receiving a Unicorn Pass for advancement. The next phase, Universe: Road to PRISM, includes a Level Test and Level Station, categorizing contestants into "High," "Average," and "Low" groups, each with differing advancement odds. High-ranked contestants perform original songs, while others perform covers, and compete within their tiers. For the next round, two stages were introduced in the Unit Station: the Position Unit and the New Song Unit. In Position Unit, participants choose between "Vocal," "Visual," and "Performance" units based on their strengths, with standout contestants earning Unicorn Tickets. In New Song Unit, participants are grouped to perform original songs, with eliminations based on votes from producers, judges, and fellow contestants. Those receiving two or more elimination votes are removed, while those with one vote undergo a 1-on-1 battle to determine their fate. The final phase, Final Station, involves performances under two concepts, "Dream" and "Prism," where judges award final Unicorn Tickets. The show concludes with the selection of the final lineup through a combination of fan votes and Unicorn Ticketing, leading to the debut of the eight-member girl group Unis.
Cast
Contestants
The spelling of names in English is according to the official website. The Korean contestants are presented in Eastern order (family name, given name).
Color Key: Final member of Unis Contestants eliminated in the final elimination round (Episode 10) Contestants eliminated in the fourth elimination round (Episode 9) Contestants eliminated in the third elimination round (Episode 7) Contestants eliminated in the second elimination round (Episode 5/6) Contestants eliminated in the first elimination round (Episode 4) Contestants that left the show 82 contestants Elisia () Bang Yun-ha () Nana (ナナ) Gehlee Dangca () Lim Seo-won () Jin Hyeon-ju () Oh Yoon-a () Kotoko (琴子) Hwang Si-eun () Lee Sun-woo () Bae Ha-ram () Kim Su-min () Jeon Jin-yeong () Narumi (なるみ) Gabi () Yuri (ユリ) Nizi (ニジ) Kim Su-jin () Goo Gyo-ryeon () Bae Ye-ram () Lee Hu-ran () Jayla (ジェイラ) Yona () Kwon Eun-hyung () Heo Sun-bin () Lee Eun-chae () Jang Sua () Minari (ミナリ) Idota Yui (井戸田ゆい) Kim Soo-bin () Oh Da-eun () Lee Soo-vin () Choi Hye-rin () Kwon Chae-won () Nako (ナコ) Vanesya () Riel () Park Ye-won () Aya Natsumi () Alyssa () Natchayathorn () Vu Linh Dan (Vũ Linh Đan) Ahn Seung-bi () Kim Seo-yeon () Yoon Soo-in () Kim Hyo-jin () Enny (애니; эни) Choi Sung-eun () Kim So-yul () Choi Yeo-jin () Anxin (安心) Jeon Ji-eun () Kim Chae-a () Lee Su-an () Oukikk () Yukino (ユキノ) Xiaoyu (小榆) Pia (ピア) Yamaguchi Yuriko (山口百合子) Kim Hye-mi () Kim Yu-ri () Laura () Jessica () May () Jung Ji-won () Honma Yuriko (本間ゆりこ) Yang Eugene () Lee Jin-e () Jang Min-ju () Kim Chae-won () Cho Min-seo () Zhou Jiaqi (周嘉琪) Kwon Ye-jin () Jeong Hui-gyeong () Cho Chae-young () Mila (ミラ) Yu (ユウ) Noh Yeon-woo () Park Ye-hyeon () Yoo Ye-na () Izumi (いずみ) Jang Su-bin ()
Episodes
Rankings Overall Ranking Rankings in each round are based exclusively on online voting, with contestant placements determined by fan support.
Color key: New Top 8 # 1 4 7 9 10ContestantContestantVoting PointsContestantVoting PointsContestantVoting PointsContestantVoting Points1 Elisia Vu Linh Dan12,593.9Elisia228,503.7Elisia553,483.4Elisia—2 Bae HaramChoi Hyerin5,583.6Gehlee Dangca204,903.1Gehlee Dangca518,852.4Gehlee Dangca1,705,7703 Hwang SieunKim Sumin3,753.0Lim Seo-won172,272.2Oh Yoon-a140,747.0Jin Hyeon-ju305,215.84 Vu Linh DanNana3,689.9Oh Yoon-a139,734.5Jin Hyeon-ju111,800.9Hwang Si-eun273,287.15 Bae YeramElisia3,499.8Nana121,707.2Bang Yunha91,723.4Oh Yoon-a252,482.56 Heo Sunbin Riel3,393.9Jin Hyeon-ju113,915.0Jeon Jin-yeong89,763.7Yuri251,957.57 NarumiGehlee Dangca2,739.6 Bang Yun-ha113,135.2Yuri84,794.6Lim Seo-won231,159.58 Jin Hyeon-ju Oh Yoon-a2,497.5Kotoko112,835.0Lim Seo-won78,783.2Bang Yun-ha200,906.3
Prism Level Ranking The overall rankings are determined by accumulated points, which include Unicorn Ticketing and Hidden Ticketing, influencing contestant advancement. Color key
# 7 9 10ContestantPointsLevelContestantPointsLevelContestantVoting PointsLevel1Nana271,707.2RElisia781,987.1PElisiaPRISM TicketingP2Gehlee Dangca239,903.1IGehlee Dangca758,755.5RBang Yun-ha960,906P3Elisia228,503.7ILim Seo-won328,783.2RNana917,941P4 Lim Seo-won172,272.2INana326,948.9RGehlee Dangca2,464,526P5Bang Yun-ha148,135.2SOh Yoon-a 220,222.8RLim Seo-won559,943P6Gabi139,734.5SKotoko218,019.9RJin Hyeon-ju496,797P7Lee Sun-woo113,915SBang Yun-ha217,703.1ROh Yoon-a472,180P8Kotoko112,835SKim Su-min208,870RKotoko470,502P
Final Prism Ticketing & Fan Ticketing Ranking The points accumulated are based on Fan Ticketing from the first voting period up until the last. However, this total does not include the Unicorn Ticket that contestants may have received during the competition.
# 10ContestantVoting Points1ElisiaPRISM Ticketing2Gehlee Dangca2,464,5263Lim Seo-won559,9434Jin Hyeon-ju496,7975Nana484,8896Oh Yoon-a472,1807Kotoko470,5028Bang Yunha434,275
Discography The theme song "Come With Me? (Universe)" was recorded and performed by the contestants. It was released on October 8, 2023, on digital music platforms.
Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positionsTitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbumKOR"Come With Me? (Universe)" (같이 갈래? (Universe))2023—Universe Ticket - Come With Me?"Come With Me? (Universe) Instrumental" ()—"Ticket To You"—Universe Ticket - Ticket To You"Ticket To You (Inst.)"—"Rush Hour"—Universe Ticket - Level Station"Whateva"—"Yummy Yum"2024—Universe Ticket - Unit Station"Dream of Girls" ()—"Loco"—"Beautiful"—"Catallena" ()—"Camera"—Universe Ticket - Final Station"Dopamine"—"White"—"Miracle"— "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Reception
Viewership ratings According to Nielsen Korea, Universe Ticket maintained an average nationwide viewership rating of 0.5% throughout its broadcast from November 2023 to January 2024. The show's highest-rated episode reached 1.1%, while the lowest dropped to 0.5%. Its final episode, aired on January 17, 2024, also recorded a 0.5% rating. Overall, the program experienced limited domestic viewership during its run.
Business impact The program was produced by F&F Entertainment in collaboration with SBS and marks F&F's first major venture into the K-pop entertainment sector. According to media reports, F&F invested over ₩10 billion to produce Universe Ticket alone, underscoring a significant commitment given that the company's initial capital was only ₩2 billion. This level of investment was aligned with F&F's broader strategy to diversify beyond fashion—leveraging its entertainment subsidiary to create cross-promotional synergies between its clothing business and the newly formed girl group, Unis. Industry insiders note that despite low domestic ratings, the show generated international engagement and provided brand exposure across multiple markets. This emphasis on long-term return aligns with the broader trend of K-pop survival programs, where initial losses are often recovered through global fandom, merchandise, and extended content strategies .
Post-Competition The final group, Unis is set to be active for 2 and a half years and is managed by F&F Entertainment. The group debuted on March 27, 2024 with their mini album We Unis.
Some contestants returned to their original groups: Jeon Ji-eun (52nd) returned to Busters. She left the group on March 20, 2025. Some contestants left their companies or joined new ones: Kim Su-min (12th), Kim Soo-bin (30th), and Lee Soo-vin (32nd) all left Blade Music. Kim Soo-bin joined Big Ocean ENM. Lee Soo-vin joined Big Mountain Entertainment.