Coupang Play Benefits from Son Heung-min, but Drama 'Anna' Controversy May Hold It Back

Coupang Play Raises 1 Million in One Month... Between Glory and Controversy

Coupang's online video service (OTT) 'Coupang Play' has attracted over 1 million users in just one month. It ranked first in user growth last month not only among OTTs but also among all applications (apps). The 'Coupang Play Series,' which invited Tottenham, the club where Son Heung-min plays, resulted in a significant increase in users. However, the drama 'Anna,' starring actress Suzy, which was also expected to boost popularity alongside football, became embroiled in a controversy over editorial interference, leaving a bitter aftertaste. If the dispute continues, it could potentially lead to negative perceptions of Coupang's content investment policy.

According to mobile index data from data company IGAWorks on the 25th, Coupang Play's monthly active users (MAU) on Android and iPhone (iOS) smartphones reached 4.82 million last month. This is an increase of 1.08 million compared to the previous month. The growth rate is particularly steep. In May, the increase was only 93,000 compared to the previous month, but in June it rose by 620,000, and last month it recorded an increase of over 1 million. This ranks first in user growth among all apps. Netflix ranked second with an increase of 940,000 users, followed by COOV and Yogi-ottae, which increased by 680,000 and 550,000 users respectively.

Through this, Coupang Play jumped from 4th to 2nd place in the domestic OTT market in one go. As of July, Netflix has the most users in Korea, followed by Coupang Play. Wave and TVING ranked 3rd and 4th with 4.24 million and 4.12 million users respectively. Industry insiders view Coupang Play's remarkable performance as significant in a market where global companies, major content corporations, and telecommunications companies compete.

It is also notable that Coupang achieved this performance while raising the membership fee for its Wow Membership, which includes access to Coupang Play. In June, Coupang increased the Wow Membership fee from 2,900 KRW to 4,990 KRW per month, citing the expanded membership benefits through continuous investment, including Coupang Play. The increase in Coupang Play users has validated the rationale for the membership fee hike.

The success of Coupang Play is analyzed to be due to the shine of its original content. Last month, Coupang invited Tottenham, a popular Premier League (PL) club where national sports star Son Heung-min belongs, and held two matches against Team K League, composed of domestic all-star players, and Spanish professional club Sevilla FC, both of which were broadcast live exclusively on Coupang Play. Coupang plans to further expand its original content investment by releasing the sitcom 'Unicorn,' starring actor Shin Ha-kyun, on the 26th, as well as 'National Team: Road to Qatar,' which follows the World Cup challenge of national football players.

There is a variable. The controversy over editorial interference in 'Anna' that surfaced this month is a concern. The claim by the director that Coupang Play unilaterally edited the work and the potential ensuing legal battle pose a burden for Coupang, which is focusing on its OTT service. In fact, looking at the weekly active users (WAU), Coupang Play had about 1.89 million users from the 1st to the 7th of this month, an increase compared to July's WAU, but after the controversy arose, the number of users from the 8th to the 14th dropped sharply to 1.67 million. An industry insider explained, "How sensitive issues such as editorial rights and content are handled will be a crucial turning point in Coupang's strategy to create a virtuous cycle where OTT investment increases Wow membership sign-ups and repurchase rates."

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