(image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, March 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Active users of video streaming apps by Netflix Inc. on their mobile devices topped 10 million in South Korea last month, more than doubling from the start of last year, data showed Monday.
The video streaming platform recorded 10.01 million Android and iOS users in the country in February, compared with 4.7 million in January last year, according to mobile data tracker IGAWorks.
Monthly active users refer to unique users who interacted with a service at least once a month.
Netflix was the most popular paid video streaming app by a wide margin, followed by local rival Wavve at 3.95 million users and Tving at 2.65 million last month.
IGAWorks noted that Netflix’s daily user figure steadily grew on the back of releases of original content, such as the monster horror series “Sweet Home” and the space blockbuster “Space Sweepers.”
Last month, Netflix said it will commit US$500 million to create South Korean-made projects this year.
Data also showed that local e-commerce giant Coupang’s video streaming service, launched late last year, had an estimated 70,000 daily users.
Competition in South Korea’s video streaming market is expected to further heat up, with the launch of Walt Disney Co.’s flagship streaming service Disney+ later this year.
Apple TV+, the subscription-based streaming service of tech titan Apple, is also gearing up to produce Korean-language originals, although it has not yet started its service in the country.
(Yonhap)
