Peak Viewership of 455,000... 10.2% Increase
Users Flock to Broadcasts on '2024 Paris Olympics' Topic
SOOP, the operator of the live streaming platform AfreecaTV, is enjoying a surge thanks to the 2024 Paris Olympics. As more people flock to the live broadcasts, the number of viewers has recently been on the rise.
According to internet broadcasting ranking site SoftConViewership on the 7th, AfreecaTV's peak number of viewers over the past week was recorded at 455,299 on the 4th. This represents a 10.2% increase compared to the peak number of viewers the previous week. The average number of viewers over the week was 147,831, which increased by nearly 2% during the same period.
The increase in AfreecaTV's viewership is largely influenced by the Paris Olympics. AfreecaTV secured broadcasting rights to stream the national athletes' matches live, attracting many users. Watching the games in real-time alongside BJs (Broadcast Jockeys) who conduct internet broadcasts and communicating through chat helped drive user engagement.
During the week, the number of BJs broadcasting with the theme of the 2024 Paris Olympics averaged 28, with a peak viewership of 186,639. The average number of viewers exceeded 21,000. In contrast, BJs broadcasting on talk themes averaged 232 viewers, which was higher than the Olympics theme, but their peak viewership was only 61,137, about one-third of the Olympics-themed broadcasts. The average number of viewers was also limited to 17,000. Following the live broadcasts of the Paris Olympics, SOOP plans to stream the Paris Paralympics, which will take place from the 28th of this month to the 8th of next month.
While AfreecaTV enjoyed positive effects from the popularity of the Paris Olympics, Naver's streaming platform Chijijik, which did not secure broadcasting rights, actually saw a decrease in viewers. On Chijijik, users could watch video-on-demand (VOD) and short-form videos, but live viewing of matches or event videos was restricted. Over the past week, Chijijik's peak number of viewers was 188,288, a 10.6% decrease from the previous week. The average number of viewers dropped by 9.3% to 72,302.
An industry insider said, "AfreecaTV’s ability to offer live broadcasts for free without requiring membership registration seems to have worked positively," adding, "Chijijik only allows VOD viewing, and since the platform itself is specialized in gaming, it was one of the reasons it struggled to capitalize on the Olympic surge."
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