Tving, Disney+ Use Live Sports, Esports for Korean Subscribers
Streaming platforms are increasingly using live sports and esports to retain subscribers, a trend now evident in markets like South Korea. CJ ENM's Tving has seen a 30% year-over-year viewership increase from streaming the Korea Baseball Organization league, while Disney+ is focusing on esports with events like the KeSPA Cup. The article also notes global moves, such as Netflix acquiring exclusive rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Japan.
Key Takeaways
- Tving's KBO League streaming drove a 30% YoY viewership increase, with female viewers in their 20s as a key growth segment.
- Disney+ is focusing on esports, broadcasting the 2025 League of Legends KeSPA Cup and the upcoming Esports Championships Asia 2026.
- Coupang Play has been streaming the K League, South Korea's professional football league, since 2022 to attract and retain sports fans.
- Netflix's sports strategy includes acquiring exclusive Japanese rights for the 2026 World Baseball Classic for approximately $940 million (15 billion yen).
Why It Matters
This trend shows a clear playbook for subscriber retention in saturated markets: use live sports for consistent engagement at a lower production cost than original series. In Korea, platforms are specializing to capture distinct fanbases—Tving with baseball, Coupang Play with soccer, and Disney+ with esports. This local specialization contrasts with Netflix’s nine-figure international rights deals, like its $940M World Baseball Classic acquisition for Japan. The key metric to watch will be Tving's subscriber churn rate for new demographics, like women in their 20s, after the KBO baseball season concludes.
Read full article at koreatimes.co.kr
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