Naver Paywalls World Cup, Pushing Subscriptions to Boost AI, Commerce Ecosystem
Naver will exclusively broadcast the 2026 North America World Cup online via its streaming platform Chijijik, offering full HD access paywalled behind Naver Plus Membership or Cheatkey subscriptions. This strategy aims to boost Naver's subscription ecosystem and attract users to its AI services rather than solely recovering rights fees. Free users can watch South Korea's matches in standard definition, with other matches limited to highlights.
Key Takeaways
- Naver secured domestic new media broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup via JoongAng Group, with an estimated cost of at least 30 billion won.
- Full HD access to all 104 World Cup matches requires a Naver Plus Membership (4,900 won/month) or Chijijik's Cheatkey (14,300 won/month).
- Non-subscribers are limited to 480p for South Korea's matches and highlights for all other games.
- Naver's goal is ecosystem expansion, including commerce and AI services like AI Tab, not just direct rights fee recovery; 6 million new subscribers would be needed to offset the 30 billion won cost.
- Naver Plus Membership revenue grew 20.7% to 235.7 billion won last year, partly due to expanded content like a Netflix partnership.
Why It Matters
Naver's move signals a strategic shift in how major sporting events are monetized and used to drive broader platform engagement, moving beyond traditional ad-supported models. By integrating World Cup access with its Plus Membership, Naver deepens user ties across its commerce, payment, and AI services, aiming to convert event-driven sign-ups into long-term ecosystem participants. The success of this strategy will be indicated by sustained Plus Membership growth post-World Cup and increased usage data for Naver's AI platforms.
Additional Context
Naver's AI strategy, linked to its World Cup membership drive, centers on its new AI Tab conversational search service. Launched in beta for Plus Membership users on April 28, 2026, AI Tab is designed to integrate Naver's core services, including search, shopping, and local information, enabling users to move from exploration to execution within a single interface (DigitalToday, April 2026). The Personal Information Protection Commission reviewed and approved AI Tab's legality in May 2026, provided Naver implements measures to inform users of data usage refusal options and avoids using sensitive personal information for personalized answers (The Asia Business Daily, May 2026). This regulatory check highlights the data privacy considerations companies face when integrating AI into user ecosystems.
The World Cup broadcast itself carries potential risks. South Korea's group-stage matches are scheduled for weekday mornings, which could limit live viewership and impact membership inflow if the team is eliminated early. There is also potential for user backlash over the 480p quality limit for non-subscribers and unresolved questions about whether the "universal viewing right" applies to online platforms (DigitalToday, June 2026). Naver plans to provide secondary content, such as AI-generated highlights, to all users and will launch a World Cup special page in early June with schedules, scoreboards, and community features (DigitalToday, May 2026).
Read full article at digitaltoday.co.kr
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