Capital and Production Capabilities Stand Out in a Contracting Market
'Made in Korea' and 'Polaris' to Premiere in the Second Half of the Year
ESPN Sports Content Also Considered as a Turnaround Card
Disney+ is facing an uncertain position in South Korea. According to WiseApp·Retail, an app and retail analytics service, Disney+ ranked only fifth (1.93 million users) among the most-used online video services (OTT) by Koreans last month, as of May 27, 2025. This figure falls far short of Netflix, which ranked first with 13.41 million users, and Coupang Play, which came in second with 7.38 million users. Disney+ has struggled to replicate the momentum it gained in 2023 with "Moving."
The content industry sees things a bit differently. Many agree that Disney+ is virtually the only real competitor to Netflix in a market dominated by the latter. This is due to Disney+'s ample capital and production capabilities. Eric Schrier, President of Disney Global Original TV Strategy, stated at the "D23: Global Fan Event" in August 2024 that "You will see continued increases in Disney's investment in Korea."
As previously announced, Disney+ will roll out a series of major new titles from the second half of this year through next year. The most anticipated among these is "Made in Korea," which will be released in the second half of the year. The series tells the story of a man driven by greed for wealth and power and a prosecutor with fierce determination, portrayed by Hyun Bin and Jung Woosung. The project is directed by Woo Minho, known for films such as "Inside Men" and "The Man Standing Next."
Other highly anticipated releases for the second half of the year include "Polaris," featuring a star-studded cast such as Jun Jihyun, Kang Dongwon, and John Cho; the action thriller "Jogak City" starring Ji Changwook and Doh Kyungsoo; and "Pine: Chonddeok," based on the webtoon of the same name by cartoonist Yoon Taeho. Next year, viewers can look forward to "Hypnosis," a mystery romance starring Suzy and Kim Seonho, as well as the survival variety show "War of Fate 49," which features forty-nine participants.
This lineup would have been unimaginable just two or three years ago. Disney+ entered the Korean market late and struggled to secure highly anticipated projects. Even when it found promising works, most production companies were already committed to Netflix, forcing Disney+ to wait its turn. To compete, Disney+ had to offer better terms or build trust with creators even before pre-production began.
At present, the situation has completely reversed. Major broadcasters such as terrestrial channels, TVing, and Wavve have all scaled back production, strengthening Disney+'s position in the market. The success of titles like "Moving" has also made Disney+ a notable platform for global expansion.
The challenge, however, is the relatively small impact Disney+ has had domestically. There are limits to increasing subscriber numbers by releasing a major series every two months. The platform needs to offer a richer selection of content with new titles and well-structured programming.
Disney+ aims to fill the gaps with a variety of genres and formats, as well as global content. Choi Yeonwoo, Head of Local Content at Walt Disney Company Korea, said, "We will actively discover various formats of content, including mid-form (medium-length) content, to keep up with the rapidly changing tastes of viewers."
The company is also focusing on stories with scalability. Disney+ is concretizing the development of franchise series in the Marvel style, which are built around expansive universes. The starting point is likely to be "Moving," created by Kang Full.
Among global content, Disney+ is betting on season 4 of "The Bear," scheduled for release on June 26, and "Alien Earth," which will be released on August 13. "The Bear" is a hyper-realistic series about the fierce survival of a genius chef and has already received critical acclaim, including Emmy and Golden Globe awards. "Alien Earth" is a horror-thriller about a team searching a mysterious spaceship that has crashed on Earth, only to encounter unknown predators.
Additionally, Disney+ will release several other titles within the year, including "Amanda Knox: Twisted Truth," which covers the 2007 murder of a British exchange student in Italy; "All's Fair," which follows the exploits of female lawyers who establish a divorce law firm; season 5 of "Suspicious Neighbors in the Apartment"; season 2 of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians"; and "Cat's Eye."
There is another card Disney+ can play for a turnaround: more than 10,000 hours of live sports content owned by the world-renowned sports channel ESPN. Choi stated, "We are positively considering sports content as part of our commitment to providing a better content experience."
In fact, since March, Disney+ has been offering ESPN content in Australia and New Zealand?the first time in the Asia-Pacific region?with positive results. The platform has broadcast major global sporting events that excite fans worldwide, including NBA playoffs, UFC "Fight Night," MLB opening games, and NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Disney+ has further expanded its reach to sports fans and attracted more viewers by adding live events, replay services, "SportsCenter" news, and specialized NBA talk and commentary. If issues such as broadcast rights are resolved, similar effects can be expected in South Korea as well.
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