Three out of four Koreans are users of OTT services: Survey

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More than 70 percent of South Koreans are subscribers of online streaming, or over-the-top (OTT) media services, a survey showed Thursday.

According to a survey conducted by the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) on the 2023 broadcasting media usage behavior, 77 percent of Koreans were OTT service users this year, up 5 percentage points from the previous year.

The annual survey provides nationally approved statistics on the viewing behavior and perception changes of users related to broadcasting media.

This year, the survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 7,055 individuals aged 13 and above from June to August.

By age group, the usage rates were highest among those in their 20s (97.8 percent) and teenagers (97.6 percent).

Smartphones (86.3 percent) were most commonly used for OTT services, while TV sets increased by 5.9 percentage points compared to the previous year’s 16.2 percent.

The top OTT service platforms were YouTube (71 percent), Netflix (35.7 percent), TVING (9.1 percent), and Coupang Play (6.3 percent).

Among the respondents, 43.9 percent were subscribed to paid services, up from 40.2 percent a year ago. Among paid OTT services, Netflix had the highest usage rate (35.7 percent), followed by TVING (9.1 percent) and YouTube Premium (6.6 percent).

By program type, 54.4 percent watched dramas, up 4.8 percentage points from last year. In the non-drama sector, entertainment shows were most popular (60.9 percent), followed by news (27 percent), sports (20.8 percent), and current affairs/culture (18 percent).