Coupang Play announces media partnership with AFC

Streaming service Coupang Play has signed an exclusive media rights deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to cover all competitions for the 2025-28 cycle.

Streaming service Coupang Play has signed an exclusive media rights deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to cover all competitions for the 2025-28 cycle.

The AFC signed a media rights partnership deal with Coupang Thursday, granting Coupang Play the exclusive right to stream the AFC Champions League, the AFC Asian Cup, and AFC Asian Qualifiers and more until 2028.

Coupang Play is a streaming service operated by e-commerce company Coupang that carries live sports streaming, blockbuster movies and its own original productions.

“As one of the powerhouses of Asian football, Korea Republic represents a key market for the AFC as we look to deliver a new era of world-class competitions as underlined in the AFC’s Vision and Mission,” AFC General Secretary Datuk Seri Windsor John said in a press release.

Coupang Play has already invested heavily in football, holding the exclusive rights to stream La Liga and the Copa Del Rey in Korea. It also hosts the Coupang Play Series, an annual off-season football exhibition game series launched last year that saw Tottenham Hotspur and Spanish club Sevilla travel to Korea to play a series of games.

This year, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid are traveling to Seoul for the Coupang Play Series.

“We are excited to share that Coupang Play’s coverage of football content is expanding from K League games to national team matches of the AFC," Head of Coupang Play Stephen Kim said. "We look forward to delivering even more football content for fans to enjoy in the future.”

“Coupang Play is already enjoyed by Korea’s football fans and we are committed to continue to meet their expectations through differentiated service and expanded offerings."

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]