Disney+ declines in Korea while Tving leads domestic OTTs

Disney+, an OTT platform in South Korea, has been experiencing a steady decline in users since the release of the drama “Moving” last fall, as subsequent works failed to become hits.

Graphics = Lee Yeon-ju

According to IGAWorks’ MOBILEINDEX data on Aug 6., Disney+ had 2.49 million monthly active users (MAU) last month, down about 30,000 from the previous month’s 2.52 million.

The user base had peaked at 4.34 million following the success of “Moving” in September last year but has nearly halved over the past year. The poor performance of original content like “Blood Free” and “Uncle SamSik,” released this year, is a key factor in this decline.

"Uncle SamSik, released on Disney+ last May /Disney+

In contrast, the domestic OTT platform Tving has seen user growth for eight consecutive months, thanks to the popularity of professional baseball broadcasts, dramas, and variety shows. Last month, it maintained its lead as the top domestic OTT platform with 7.56 million users, surpassing Coupang Play (6.11 million) and Wavve (4.39 million). Tving secured a stable user base with Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) broadcasts, while entertainment shows like “Jinny’s Kitchen 2″ and dramas like “The Auditors” received positive feedback. Additionally, the 5,500 won ad-supported subscription plan, launched in March, has been successful, with about 40% of new users opting for it by June.

Coupang Play had 6.11 million users last month, a drop of about 520,000 from the previous month’s 6.63 million. Despite this, the platform’s sports content remained strong. On July 31st, during the “2024 Coupang Play Series: Tottenham vs. Team K-League” event, daily active users (DAU) reached around 1.41 million, nearly double the usual number. Coupang plans to attract users back this month with exclusive broadcasts of the new seasons of Spain’s La Liga and Germany’s Bundesliga.

Wavve’s user base grew by 70,000 last month, reaching 4.39 million from 4.32 million the previous month. Although live (real-time) usage increased with the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics broadcasts, the absence of major hits in dramas and variety shows has led to only modest user growth. Meanwhile, Netflix, the industry leader, had 11.11 million users last month, an increase of approximately 150,000 from the previous month’s 10.96 million.