"Dear X," the top-performing Tving original series, is rated for viewers 19 and older. [Tving]
"Dear X," the top-performing Tving original series, is rated for viewers 19 and older. [Tving]

Tving has pulled off a remarkable recovery despite a major data breach that threatened to derail the streaming platform.

Contrary to expectations of a mass subscriber exodus, the platform's monthly active users rose last month — enough to reclaim the No. 2 spot it had lost to rival Coupang Play.

Analysts attributed the rebound to a combination of Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) league broadcasts and the sustained popularity of original content, including "Dear X," an adults-only series that has been Tving's biggest blockbuster since its release in the second half of last year. The show, rated for viewers 19 and older, generated immediate buzz for its provocative subject matter.

According to Mobile Index, a data tracking service operated by analytics firm IGAWorks, Tving's monthly active users reached about 9.70 million in June, placing it second behind Netflix's approximately 16.17 million.

Tving grew its user base by roughly 10 percent from the previous month, surpassing third-place Coupang Play, which logged about 8.85 million monthly active users. The result marks a decisive turn in a long back-and-forth battle for second place that Tving had been losing to the newer entrant.

Analysts noted the achievement was particularly striking given that Tving was under intense pressure from the data breach fallout at the time.

The breach became public on June 3, setting off a controversy that has continued since. Compromised data is believed to include member IDs, names, dates of birth, passwords, refund account numbers, and identity-linking information. The number of affected users is estimated at approximately 19.53 million.

A notice about the personal data breach incident. [Tving]
A notice about the personal data breach incident. [Tving]

Despite fears that the exposure of sensitive personal data would trigger a mass cancellation wave, no large-scale subscriber flight appears to have materialized immediately.

Industry observers say KBO broadcasts served as a powerful lock-in factor, keeping users on the platform. Tving originals — including "Dear X," "Chwisabyeong Jeonseol-i Doeda," a cooking-soldier drama series, and "Hwanseung Yeonae 4," a dating reality show — also helped stem the tide with consistent viewership, analysts said.

However, many caution that it is too early to declare the crisis over. The investigation into the breach is still ongoing, and its findings are expected to deal a further blow to the platform's credibility when they are released. With the KBO boost seen as a temporary factor, analysts say Tving urgently needs a more fundamental strategy to rebuild user trust.

Meanwhile, an investigation team comprising the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Internet and Security Agency and private-sector experts is expected to release findings on the cause of the incident and the full extent of the damage. Tving's consumer compensation measures are also expected to be determined based on the results.


sjpark@heraldcorp.com