Korea

Korean streamers to merge to take on global competitors

South Korean streaming platforms TVing and Seezn are to merge in a bid to oppose OTT rivals such as Netflix. CJ ENM, which is behind global hit game show format I Can See Your Voice and Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning thriller Parasite, is the 57% majority owner of TVing, with the service spun off from the company in 2020, […]

Solbox taps Ateme for cloud VOD transcoding

Korean CDN and cloud computing specialist Solbox has tapped video technology provider Ateme to build a private VOD transcoding farm in the cloud for OTT service providers.  The Korean CDN provider used Ateme’s cloud-native, microservices-based Titan File transcoding technology to transcode video files in a flexible and cost-effective way, based on the smart allocation of […]

Humax targets Android TV market with advanced box and operator tier programme

Humax has launched what it boldly claims to be the world’s most advanced Android TV set-top box, the Humax H7, as part of a broader ramp-up of its efforts to target the growing Android TV market for operators. The new box is based on Broadcom silicon with a 24K DMIPS CPU, and comes with the […]

Korean cable consolidation continues with KT Skylife acquisition of Hyundai HCN

Korean telco KT’s pay TV unit KT Skylife has been selected as the preferred bidder for the country’s fifth largest cable operator Hyundai HCN in a move that will shift the balance of power in the country’s TV distribution business towards KT as consolidation within the cable sector continues apace. KT faced competition from service […]

Kaplan and Chien’s KC Global Media acquires SPT Asian channels

KC Global Media Entertainment, the company launched by Sony Pictures Television (SPT) alums Andy Kaplan and George Chien, have completed the acquisition of four Asian channels from the executives’ former employers. The deal, first unveiled in January, will see Kaplan and Chien’s KC Global take a 100% stake in South East Asian and Korean media networks […]

Video content budgets in key Asian markets climb

Video content budgets across India, Korea and Southeast Asia climbed 12% in 2018 to reach US$10 billion, according to the latest edition of Asia Video Content Dynamics, published by Media Partners Asia. The 12% increase, up from 8% in 2017, highlights rising competition for audiences and production talent, especially in India and Korea. Together, India […]

Korean pay TV consolidation moves under way

Consolidation of Korea’s pay TV industry appears to be getting into gear, with reports of a plan by mobile leader SK Telecom to acquire number two cable operator Tbroad, following last week’s announcement that LG U+ would move ahead with the acquisition of a majority stake in CJ Hellovision. According to The Korea Herald, citing […]

Korea’s SK Telecom and broadcasters team up to take on Netflix

Korean telecom operator SK Telecom has teamed with three of the country’s leading broadcasters to launch a join t OTT TV service that will enable them to better compete with the likes of Netflix. SK Telecom and broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see them combine their existing […]

Netflix brings in Chinese and Korean series

Netflix has acquired its first online Chinese drama, Day and Night, and will bring in original South Korean series including A Korean Odyssey. The streaming giant revealed a deal with Youku Tudou, a Chinese streaming service under the Alibaba umbrella, for worldwide rights of Day and Night outside of China. Day and Night is a 32-episode drama series that follows […]

Korean networks launch US on-demand service

South Korean three largest networks – KBS, MBC and SBS – have jointly launched a subscription on-demand platform in the US. The trio has formed KCP Global, a venture that houses the new SVOD service, Kocowa. This will offer subscribers streamed South Korean entertainment programming and K-pop shows. Shows will be made available subtitled into […]

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