Naver lands Asian Games streaming rights after 5.3 million tuned in for World Cup

Platform eyes 'Asian Games effect' after Olympics, World Cup success

Costly rights fees offset by broad gains across streaming service

More users expected to drive ad revenue and commission growth

Lee Sang-hyeok, known by his gaming handle "Faker," answers reporters' questions at a send-off ceremony for South Korea's national esports team for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held Tuesday at Sangam Cube Convention Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Yonhap]

Naver has secured the online platform streaming rights for the 20th Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

The tech giant previously saw a major surge in users through its World Cup coverage, with monthly active users (MAU) on its streaming service Chzzk surpassing 5.3 million. The proven impact of major sporting events appears to have driven Naver to pursue Asian Games rights as well.

With the Asian Games deal in hand, Naver is aiming to replicate the virtuous cycle it experienced during the World Cup — more users translating into higher revenue.

The Chzzk logo. [Naver]

Naver has secured the online platform streaming rights for the Asian Games, adding them separately to the Olympic and World Cup rights it already holds.

The Asian Games program includes not only traditional crowd-pleasers such as football, baseball and archery, but also esports titles — League of Legends and PUBG Mobile among them — as official medal events. Excitement is running especially high given that Faker, widely regarded as a legend of League of Legends, is set to compete at the Asian Games for a third time.

Industry observers expect Naver paid a considerable sum to secure the online platform rights.

For the North and Central America World Cup, Naver is believed to have spent around 40 billion won ($28.9 million) on online platform streaming rights — a substantial outlay given that Chzzk's total sales are estimated at roughly 30 billion won.

During the second-quarter earnings call this year, Naver Chief Financial Officer Kim Hee-chul cited "recognition of content streaming rights costs, including the World Cup" as a key reason for a 15.2 percent year-on-year increase in development and operating expenses.

Fans cheer at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of Aug. 12, as South Korea faced the Czech Republic in their opening group stage match at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. [Yoon Chang-bin]

Naver's push to secure streaming rights stems from the sweeping gains it recorded during the World Cup. Chzzk saw sharp spikes not only in MAU but also in video views, short-form clip engagement and participation in its match-prediction service.

The South Korea-South Africa match drew a peak of 4.94 million concurrent viewers — the highest since the service launched. The previous record was 760,000, set during coverage of the 2025 LoL World Championship in November last year. Buoyed by that momentum, Chzzk's MAU topped 5.33 million in June.

The World Cup effect extended further: about 2,000 streamers produced roughly 12,300 broadcasts during the tournament, and approximately 2.4 million users took part in Naver's match-prediction service — gains felt across the entire Chzzk platform.

A more active Chzzk user base is expected to naturally lift revenue from mid-roll advertising and commissions, the service's primary income streams.

"Building on the streaming rights for the World Cup, Olympics, Esports World Cup and now the Asian Games, we will continue enhancing our service to raise user satisfaction on Chzzk," Naver said. "We will keep strengthening our content competitiveness and work to spread a community-driven viewing culture."

ko@heraldcorp.com