Coupang Play has become the first South Korean online video streaming service to surpass 10 million monthly active users, putting it in position to challenge the market lead Netflix has long held. Analysts attribute the gain to Netflix's recent plateau and to a large-scale personal data breach that hit Tving, the previous domestic leader.
Coupang Play drew 10.06 million app users last month, a record high, according to data analytics firm Mobile Index on the 5th. That marked an increase of 1.39 million users, or 15.97%, from July, when the figure stood at 8.68 million.
Netflix has dominated the domestic streaming market while Coupang Play and Tving have fought for second place. Coupang Play overtook Tving to claim the No. 2 spot in February, only to slip back to third in June, four months later. Tving's rebound came on the back of two consecutive hits — its original series "The Mess Cook Becomes a Legend" and "New Employee Chairman Kang," for which it secured exclusive broadcasting rights.
Coupang Play reclaimed second place in July, however, and widened its lead over Tving to 1.91 million users in August, when Tving had 8.15 million. Netflix's monthly active users fell to 16.21 million in August, down 120,000 or 0.74% from 16.33 million the previous month. Tving lost more than 350,000 users, or 4.08%, over the same period, from 8.5 million.
Coupang Play's advance reflects the combined pull of original content and live sports. "Adultery Is Not the Problem Right Now," starring actor Kim Hye-soo, drew a large audience, while the platform's "2026 Coupang Play Series" broadcast footballer Lee Kang-in's debut match after his transfer to Atletico Madrid live in 4K ultra-high definition, a first in South Korea, winning over football fans.
Tving, by contrast, has declined for two straight months since the data breach came to light in June. With users leaving amid eroding confidence in its security, Tving announced measures on the 3rd to quadruple its information-security investment by 2030 and to offer a compensation package worth about 20,000 won per subscriber.
Competition over new releases among streaming platforms is expected to intensify further in September. Netflix is looking for a rebound as "Field Mice," a new original series starring actor Ryu Jun-yeol, ranked fourth among television shows worldwide. Coupang Play is moving to cement its second-place position by releasing the third season of "Office Workers" and by exclusively broadcasting matches featuring leading Korean players abroad, including Lee Kang-in of Atletico Madrid, Son Heung-min of LAFC, Kim Min-jae of Bayern Munich and Hwang Hee-chan of Schalke 04.
