Naver's streaming platform, Chijijik, saw a surge in users during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but has since returned to normal levels. The ability to retain users gained during the tournament through competitive content will be crucial for future growth.
According to Mobile Index, Chijijik's daily active users (DAU) soared to a peak of 2,596,614 during the World Cup. From mid-June to mid-July, the average DAU was around 1.5 million, a significant increase compared to usual figures.
However, following the conclusion of the tournament, the average DAU dropped to approximately 1.1 million from late July to early August, similar to the average of 1.02 to 1.12 million recorded in the first quarter of this year. This suggests that the World Cup effect was short-lived.
Nonetheless, the World Cup's impact is not entirely gone. The DAU at the end of July was about 20% higher than the average of around 930,000 in July of last year, indicating that some users who experienced the service during the World Cup have remained, thus expanding the user base.
Naver's experience in reliably broadcasting large-scale sports events has also become an asset. During the World Cup, Chijijik operated without server disruptions, even accommodating over 5 million simultaneous connections by enhancing its server infrastructure to handle high traffic.
Naver is accelerating its content diversification efforts, with esports taking center stage. Chijijik is exclusively live-streaming all events of the global esports competition, the Esports World Cup (EWC), which began in July, attracting a cumulative audience of 16.84 million from July 1 to 19.
The platform is also expanding its live performance content. The live broadcast of the '2026 World DJ Festival' garnered approximately 4.3 million views over two days, while the '2026 Songkran Music Festival' recorded around 8 million views over the same period, demonstrating strong user interest in music performances.
Looking ahead, Naver plans to continue securing live content, including summer music festivals, year-end award ceremonies, and entertainment IP-based programming, aiming to broaden its platform beyond reliance on sports events.
However, challenges remain. Many users on the App Store and Google Play have reported issues with buffering and playback quality. Some have also expressed discomfort with the banner-centric user interface (UI) and the repetitive ads encountered when switching between streamer channels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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