Users Can Choose Between Traditional Vertical Scroll and Video Episodes
Expansion to Other Language Services Considered After Beta Launch
Naver Webtoon is ushering in an era of "webtoons to watch," moving beyond the traditional "webtoons to read."
On August 18 (local time), Webtoon Entertainment, the parent company of Naver Webtoon, launched a pilot version of "Video Episodes" on the global English-language WEBTOON platform. This feature allows users to enjoy each episode of selected series in video format, integrating short-form videos (typically 1 to 3 minutes long) into webtoons.
Video Episodes can be experienced much like animations. By adding motion effects, sound effects, background music, and voice acting to the vertical scroll format of webtoons, the content is transformed into video. Users can choose whether to enjoy the series in the traditional vertical scroll format or as Video Episodes.
The Video Episode feature will first be applied to 14 popular English original titles. Each series will offer 20 free Video Episodes, with each episode averaging around 5 minutes in length. The number of episodes and titles available in the Video Episode format will gradually increase over time.
Naver Webtoon is expanding the user experience by integrating short-form video content. In May, the company revamped its global app (excluding Korean and Japanese versions) to introduce the "New & Hot" tab, which features short-form trailers highlighting key scenes from new and trending series. During its second-quarter earnings announcement, Webtoon Entertainment reported that the number of monthly active users (MAU) for the WEBTOON app increased by 19% year-over-year, attributing this growth in part to the service updates, including the New & Hot tab.
In Korea, the company will launch "Cuts," a user-generated content (UGC) service for short-form animation, next month.
Kim Yongsoo, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Naver Webtoon and Head of Global Webtoon Business, stated, "Video Episodes will introduce a new trend in enjoying webtoons, allowing for immersive experiences beyond the vertical scroll format. By combining the storytelling power of webtoons with the short-form video trend, we expect to create significant synergy. We will first operate the beta service in the English-language platform and are considering expanding it to other languages in the future."
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