[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Naver’s CHZZK has outperformed SOOP in viewership competition for the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), and the platform plans to exclusively stream major sports events online this year. As CHZZK enters its third year of service, attention is focused on whether it can establish itself as South Korea’s number-one streaming platform.
According to SoftCon Viewership data on the 26th, CHZZK’s LCK channel recorded a peak concurrent viewership of 165,716 and an average viewership of 51,197 this month. Multiplying the average viewership by broadcast hours, the total viewership reached 3,317,602. In comparison, SOOP’s LCK channel had a peak concurrent viewership of 60,824, an average of 16,897, and a total viewership of only 1,253,787—about 2.7 times lower than CHZZK.
Both CHZZK and SOOP hold exclusive LCK broadcasting rights from this year through 2030. Fans around the world must visit one of the two platforms to watch LCK matches live. The recently opened LCK Cup on the 14th provided a key indicator of the platforms’ competitiveness, with CHZZK securing more viewers on the official LCK channel and gaining the upper hand in the initial competition.
However, SOOP maintains advantages in streamer coverage and partnerships with LCK teams, leaving some uncertainty about whether CHZZK’s lead will continue. Industry analysts estimate that, including both official LCK channels and streamer broadcasts, CHZZK holds roughly 60% of the market share, compared to 40% for SOOP.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
