[IT Cafe] Naver Hits the Mark on Preferences... Captures the Hearts of Men in Their 20s and 30s

Naver-Xbox Collaboration Drives 30% Surge in Memberships Among Men in Their 20s and 30s After PC Game Pass Launch

"Isn't this an incredibly cost-effective service? I signed up for the membership right away." "I was receiving cookies as a Naver Membership benefit, but now I'm planning to switch to the Game Pass. I'm trying to decide which game to play first."

Provided by Naver

The collaboration between Naver and Xbox, following the earlier partnership between Naver and Netflix, has captured the attention of men in their 20s and 30s. While the partnership with Netflix increased the proportion of new subscribers in their 30s and 40s with strong purchasing power, the Xbox collaboration has clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of targeting male users.

Naver announced that, following the introduction of the PC Game Pass on July 8, the number of new male members in their 20s and 30s-who are the main users of games-increased by 30% over the same period of the previous month during the first two weeks. The membership retention rate stands at around 95%, indicating that there has been little churn after joining.

Xbox Game Pass is a subscription-based game service provided by Microsoft. It can be enjoyed on both consoles and PCs, but through Naver, only the PC version is available. Nevertheless, the low price has played a significant role in attracting young male users. By subscribing to Naver Membership (4,900 won per month), users can enjoy the PC Game Pass, which normally costs 9,500 won per month, at nearly half the price. Additionally, those who already use the Game Pass Ultimate plan (which covers both PC and console) can extend their Ultimate subscription period by linking it with Naver.

Naver is solidifying its position as another major platform in the media and content market through collaborations with global companies. At the same time, it is increasing the attractiveness of its membership subscription, creating a virtuous cycle that boosts commerce activity. Previously, Naver revealed that, as a result of its partnership with Netflix since November last year, the average daily number of new membership sign-ups increased by about 1.5 times compared to before, and shopping expenditures by members who chose Netflix rose by more than 30%. Recently, the popularity of Netflix original content such as "K-Pop Demon Hunters" has continued to drive new user inflows.

Netflix has also benefited from its partnership with Naver. As the online video service (OTT) market reached saturation, new subscriber growth had stagnated, but new sign-ups have started to increase again. Although specific figures were not disclosed, the company emphasized the significant impact. According to the "2025 First Half Mobile Communication Planning Survey" published by global market research firm Consumer Insight, Netflix achieved a 54% subscription rate among domestic OTT users, surpassing the majority for the first time. In June, Netflix executives invited Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon to the United States to share their "win-win" achievements and discuss ways to expand the partnership.

During the second quarter earnings conference call on August 8, CEO Choi stated, "Partnerships with external partners through the membership are expected to have a positive impact on Naver's efforts to expand its content ecosystem," adding, "The membership will become a key driver that creates synergy across the entire Naver ecosystem, going beyond simple shopping benefits."

Spotify is being mentioned as the next potential partner. As the world's largest music streaming platform, Spotify entered the Korean market in 2021. Regarding this, a Naver representative said, "We plan to continue collaborating with global companies, but nothing has been confirmed yet," and added, "We aim to offer a lifestyle-oriented membership that enhances value in all aspects of daily life, and will continue to expand content choices for our users."