In a strategic pivot away from its foundational tipping revenue model, South Korean live-streaming operator SOOP—formerly known as AfreecaTV—is overhauling its digital footprint by cutting reliance on fan donations, expanding its digital marketing apparatus, and acquiring a professional women’s volleyball team, hankyung.com reported.
Dismantling the Legacy of AfreecaTV
The company operated under the AfreecaTV banner for 18 years following its 2006 launch before rebranding to SOOP in 2024. This corporate nomenclature shift was designed to distance the platform from persistent controversies surrounding hyper-sexualized and provocative broadcasts, colloquially referred to locally as “buteun bang” or stripping streams. By reframing the service around an ecological metaphor where members connect through structured content, management sought to shed its tarnished underground reputation.
That image rehabilitation is now entering a critical operational phase. Co-CEO Lee Min-won outlined the platform’s restructuring roadmap during an interview on Wednesday, October 8, noting that the enterprise aims to consolidate its advertising and marketing capabilities. The objective is to construct an integrated infrastructure that links user engagement, content production, and commercial monetization directly to the core streaming platform.
Financial reliance on “balloon” virtual item donations—where viewers directly sponsor individual broadcast jockeys, commonly known as BJ icons—historically accounts for 70 to 80 percent of total revenues. To dilute this exposure, SOOP acquired a 70 percent stake in digital advertising agency PlayD in March 2023. This acquisition grants the platform end-to-end capabilities spanning ad planning, creative production, operational execution, and performance analytics.
Naver Chzzk Outpaces SOOP in Monthly Active Users
This aggressive diversification arrives amid mounting domestic rivalry. Naver introduced its competing live-streaming platform, Chzzk, in December 2023, initiating an intense battle for user acquisition and retention.
While SOOP maintains leadership in cumulative broadcasting watch time and absolute revenue generation, monthly active user metrics reflect shifting viewer habits. During the first half of the year, Naver Chzzk captured 3.24 million monthly active users, outpacing SOOP’s 2.35 million.
| Platform | Parent Company / Operator | Primary Market Metric Leader | Strategic Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| SOOP | SOOP Co., Ltd. | Watch Time & Total Revenue | Advertising, PlayD Integration, Commerce |
| Chzzk | Naver Corporation | Monthly Active Users (MAU) | Ecosystem Synergy, Gaming Content |
To recapture momentum, SOOP merged its domestic and international platform operations in May, rolling out expanded creator support initiatives and content diversification programs. Co-CEO Lee designated the period leading up to the end of the year as a crucial transitional window for the company’s next phase of expansion.
Diversification Through Commerce and Sports Assets
Beyond digital marketing integration, the company is scaling live-commerce operations through its proprietary marketplace, SOOP Store. The platform facilitates merchandise sales for creators, spanning general consumer goods like appliances and processed foods alongside specialized creator memorabilia.
In an unexpected brand-building maneuver this past June, SOOP acquired the Pepper Savings Bank women’s professional volleyball team, known as AI Peppers. The sports franchise acquisition serves as an offline vector to cement the corporate rebrand and engage mainstream audiences beyond digital screens.
Simultaneously, the platform is embedding artificial intelligence tools directly into its user interface. An AI video assistant named “Soopi” curates personalized creator recommendations based on individual viewing habits, while an automated moderation assistant named “SARSA” evaluates real-time chat streams and video output to assist creators with broadcast management.
