ZEPETO has about 190 million global users, 80 percent of whom are teenagers. (image: Naver)
SEOUL, Dec. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s entertainment industry, ranging from big entertainment agencies to multi channel networks (MCNs), is wooing the nation’s leading Internet portal Naver Corp. amid growing interest in augmented reality (AR) avatars that are enjoying rising popularity among teenagers.
Naver’s subsidiary Naver Z Corp., the operator of a 3D avatar creator platform ZEPETO, announced on Tuesday that it formed a business tie-up with DIA TV, the nation’s largest MCN which delivers content from YouTube celebrities.
Under terms of the cooperation, ZEPETO will create and release AR content together with DIA TV-affiliated YouTube creators.
The two parties announced that they will upgrade the competitiveness of ZEPETO with AR contents targeting Generation Z, referring to those born between 1980 and 2010, while expanding the stage of activities for YouTube creators.
ZEPETO has about 190 million global users, 80 percent of whom are teenagers. About 90 percent of its users are foreigners.
It is growing at a rapid pace in the markets of North America, Central and South America and Southeast Asia.
3D avatars of BLACKPINK created by Zepeto.
ZEPETO was launched in August 2018 by Snow, a camera application affiliated with Naver.
As the platform posted robust growth, Naver spun it off into an independent unit Naver Z in March this year..
Recently the nation’s major management agencies including Big Hit Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment invested a total of 17 billion won (US$15.6 million) in Naver Z.
Popular K-pop girl groups such as BLACKPINK and TWICE have drawn attention by showing off their AR avatar content through ZEPETO. Thereafter, a string of global companies including Nike and Disney also joined hands with Zepetto.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
