"I Used to Spend 40,000 Won a Month, Now It's Down to 3,000"... OTT Savings Trend [Jumeoni Talk]

Average Monthly OTT Subscription Cost: 22,084 Won
Credit Card Discounts and Ad-Supported Plans Help Cut Fees
Account-Sharing Platforms See Surge in User Complaints

Editor's NoteWe are living in an era where a single serving of pork belly costs 20,000 won and a bowl of Jajangmyeon is 7,500 won. The Consumer Price Index in 2024 reached 114.18 (2020=100), and in 2025, consumers are still feeling the pinch from persistently high prices. Through the "Jumeoni Talk" (Week+Money+Talk) series, we aim to share stories about consumption that are closely tied to our wallets, keeping pace with the ever-changing prices.

As the cost of subscribing to online video services (OTT) such as Netflix continues to rise, users are increasingly seeking ways to save on subscription fees. Some opt for credit cards that offer discounts on monthly OTT payments, others take advantage of paid services provided by telecommunications companies to lower their OTT subscription costs, and still others use intermediary platforms to split OTT fees with multiple users. There are a variety of ways to cut costs.

Netflix Original The Glory Still Cut.

Average of 2.34 OTT Services Used Per Person

According to the latest issue of the Media Survey published last month by the Korea Press Foundation, domestic OTT users subscribe to an average of 2.34 services per person. By age group, those in their 30s subscribed to the most OTT services, with an average of 2.66 per person, followed by those in their 20s (2.59), 40s (2.33), and 50s (1.94). Notably, the proportion of users subscribing to only one OTT service was 30.1%, which is lower than the 30.5% who use two services, and as many as 22.9% use three services. This survey was conducted among 1,000 OTT users in their 20s to 50s in Korea.

As the trend of subscribing to multiple OTT services simultaneously becomes more prominent, the burden of subscription fees is also increasing. Since OTT subscriptions are a fixed monthly expense, the more services one subscribes to, the higher the total expenditure. This year, some platforms have raised their prices or restricted account sharing, making users feel the financial strain even more acutely.

Even when analyzing the structure of subscription service spending, OTT accounts for the largest share. According to the "Subscription Service Usage Status · Dark Pattern Survey" released by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in April, the average monthly expenditure on subscription services was 40,530 won. Of this, OTT services accounted for the largest portion at 22,084 won, followed by shopping memberships (15,426 won) and music streaming (10,667 won). By age group, those in their 30s (45,148 won) and 20s (44,428 won) spent the most.

Consumers Seek Various Ways to Reduce Subscription Fees

OTT users are employing a range of strategies to reduce their subscription costs, even if only slightly. One of the most common methods is to use credit cards that offer OTT subscription discounts.

Recently, credit card companies have been introducing products that highlight OTT payment benefits. One example is the "MG+ S Hana Card," launched last month by Hana Card in partnership with MG Community Credit Cooperative. This card offers a 50% discount on regular payments for major OTT services such as Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Tving. For example, if you pay for the Netflix Premium plan (17,000 won) with this card, you will only be charged 8,500 won per month, saving you about 100,000 won per year. However, the discount benefit varies depending on the previous month's card usage, with a maximum monthly limit of 60,000 won.

Yonhap News Agency

Another cost-saving option is the ad-supported subscription plan. While this plan includes advertisements during viewing and may be somewhat inconvenient, it offers the advantage of lower prices. For example, Netflix's ad-supported standard plan costs 7,000 won per month, which is about 48% cheaper than the regular standard plan with the same video quality (13,500 won).

Telecommunications companies are also targeting OTT users. KT offers Tving Premium as a value-added service for 16,000 won per month, a 1,000 won discount from the regular price of 17,000 won. There is also a package that combines Tving Premium with a Starbucks Americano (tall size) for 17,000 won per month. SK Telecom launched "T Universe Tving" last month, offering three subscription plans-ad-supported standard (4,500 won/month), standard (12,500 won/month), and premium (16,000 won/month)-each 1,000 won cheaper than the regular Tving prices.

Packages that combine shopping memberships with OTT subscriptions are also gaining popularity. Since November last year, Naver and Netflix have been offering a package that allows Naver Plus Membership subscribers (4,900 won/month) to use the Netflix ad-supported standard plan as well. Considering that subscribing to the Netflix ad-supported standard plan separately costs 7,000 won per month, this is seen as an exceptional benefit that allows users to enjoy both shopping membership and OTT services at the same time.

Many users are also reducing their subscription costs by using intermediary platforms that facilitate OTT account sharing. These platforms bring together three to four users to share a single account, allowing them to split the subscription fee. On some platforms, Disney+ Premium is being offered for 3,965 won-about 71.5% less than the regular price of 13,900 won-and Tving Premium is available for 4,740 won, about 72.1% cheaper than the standard price of 17,000 won.

However, there has been a rise in fraud cases that use low prices as bait, so caution is needed. According to the Korea Consumer Agency and the Korea Consumer Organizations Council, there were 237 consumer counseling cases related to "OTT services" reported to the 1372 Consumer Counseling Center in June, a 7.4-fold increase from the same month last year (32 cases). Many victims were persuaded by businesses to extend their subscriptions for "account sharing management stability," but after making payments, the service was discontinued and contact was lost, making refunds impossible.