Aggressive Investment in Sports Content and Low Subscription Rates Drive Growth for Coupang Play

Captured from the Coupang Play website

Coupang Play, the online video service operated by South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang, is closing in on the top spot in the local online video service (OTT) market. According to IGA Works' big data analysis platform 'Mobile Index', Coupang Play has maintained a monthly active user (MAU) count of 4 million since January 2022, overtaking Wave to secure the second spot in the market.

Coupang Play has made aggressive investments in sports content, such as hosting exclusive online broadcasts of the K-League and Formula 1, as well as screening matches in Korea for prestigious English and Spanish professional soccer clubs. The company has also secured the right to broadcast all matches hosted by the Asian Football Confederation for four years from 2025.

▲ Captured from the Coupang Play website

The low subscription rates of Coupang Play have also contributed to its growth. To use Coupang Play, customers must sign up for Coupang's 'Wow' membership, which offers various benefits, including free shipping on rocket delivery products and free returns for 30 days. The membership subscription fee is 4,990 won per month, which is cheaper than Netflix's advertising plan.

The industry is cautiously optimistic that Coupang Play may soon overtake Tving and become the top player in the local OTT market. While Tving currently has around 540,000 more MAUs than Coupang Play, the gap has been narrowing steadily.

Coupang Play's growth is primarily attributed to its aggressive and differentiated content investment strategy and low subscription rates. With its unique combination of e-commerce and OTT services, Coupang Play has become a major sports content channel in Korea, offering content that is not found in other OTTs.

Sayart.net 

BlueYIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com