Coupang Play Benefits from Yi Sun-sin Following Son Heung-min Success

Last Month's User Count (MAU) Reaches 4.08 Million
Following the Movie 'Hansan', 'Emergency Declaration'... Effect of Exclusive Release of Blockbusters

The number of users (MAU) of Coupang's online video service (OTT), 'Coupang Play,' has risen back to the 4 million range. Thanks to the Coupang Play Series featuring Son Heung-min in July, the user count increased to 4.82 million, briefly securing the second place in the domestic OTT market after Netflix. Although the number of users declined in August, it recovered to 4 million last month, creating a three-way competition among native OTTs including Wavve and TVING. This is attributed to strengthened content competitiveness by exclusively releasing movies such as 'Hansan' and 'Emergency Declaration.'

According to mobile index data from data company IGAWorks on the 5th, Coupang Play's number of users (MAU) based on Android and iPhone (iOS) smartphones last month recorded 4.08 million, an increase of 280,000 compared to the previous month.

The number of Coupang Play users jumped from 3.73 million in June to 4.82 million in July, known as the 'Son Heung-min effect.' Two matches were held by inviting Tottenham, a popular Premier League (PL) club to which Son Heung-min belongs, and both were broadcast live exclusively on Coupang Play. This major sports event attracted over 1 million users at once, but since it was not continuous content, a subsequent decrease in users had to be accepted.

Following Son Heung-min, Coupang Play's next card was 'Yi Sun-sin.' They exclusively presented 'Hansan: Rising Dragon,' which was still in theaters. This movie, which attracted over 7 million viewers, went directly to Coupang Play without going through IPTV or other platforms. The film is a sequel to the 2014 blockbuster 'Myeongryang,' which drew 10 million viewers, depicting Admiral Yi Sun-sin and the Joseon navy's Battle of Hansan five years before the Battle of Myeongryang. After its exclusive release on Coupang Play, it quickly rose to number one in content rankings compiled by Kinolights, drawing significant attention. Coupang Play's strategy to enhance content competitiveness by securing new blockbuster movies continued with 'Emergency Declaration.' In addition to movies, original content such as the sitcom 'Unicorn' starring actor Shin Ha-kyun and the variety show 'Chain Reaction' are also gaining attention.

Based on this, Coupang Play has come to stand shoulder to shoulder with Wavve and TVING in the domestic OTT market. Last month, the OTT with the most users in Korea was Netflix, with 11.58 million viewers. Following that, TVING and Wavve recorded 4.18 million and 4.13 million users respectively, ranking second and third. Excluding Netflix, which is far ahead, Coupang Play is achieving remarkable results competing with content conglomerates and telecommunications companies. An industry insider said, "Coupang's strategy is to increase Wow membership through OTT and create a virtuous cycle where repurchase rates rise based on that," adding, "Content investment to expand Coupang Wow membership benefits will continue."