Top Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA Becomes KOCOWA+ with the Addition of Feature Films

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Additionally, KOCOWA was One of the Few Profitable Streamers in 2022

Los Angeles, CA – February 6, 2023 – The number one 100% Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to announce it has joined so many other streamers and added a + to their name. Not just to be trendy, the + signifies the addition of 100 feature films to the KOCOWA+ lineup and several updates to platform capabilities. Korean content fans can watch top feature films in addition to the great K-Dramas, K-Pop chart, reality shows, and all the other hits of Korea’s top three broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS.

In addition to the name and content updates, it was recently revealed that KOCOWA, along with Netflix, was among the few profitable streamers in 2022.

KOCOWA+ CEO KunHee Park notes, “we are excited to continue to bring the Korean Content Wave to the Western Hemisphere with a library of top Korean films to complement the most comprehensive selections of K-Dramas, K-Pop, and other Korean content our millions of subscribers love – over 24,000 hours-worth. Other subscriber benefits from KOCOWA+ include multi-profile capabilities, downloading shows from anywhere, anytime offline consumption, and picture-on-picture capabilities. With the addition of films, KOCOWA is truly the ultimate destination for Korean entertainment.”

On the streaming profitability success, he added, “We were able to attain profitability due to our unique business model of partnering with the three Korean broadcast networks, partnerships with 30 of the top Korean content providers and studios, the increasing popularity of Korean content across the Americas, and of course, our brilliant and hardworking global team.”

Some of the new films available include hits such as A Violent Prosecutor, one of the top-grossing Korean films of 2016, and Lee Il-Hyung, its writer/director was nominated for Best Director at the Grand Bell Awards, Korea’s version of the Oscars; Korea’s top grossing R-rated film of all time Inside Men, that won the Grand Bell for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay in 2016; and action-comedy Luck-Key, staring Yoo Hae-jin, a Korean film star, and Grand Bell award winner.

In addition to the films, Korean Drama (K-Drama) “Taxi Driver” is coming to KOCOWA for its highly anticipated second season. “Taxi Driver” is about a mysterious taxi service that delivers justice and revenge on behalf of victims who cannot get help from the law. The drama’s main actors Lee Je Hoon, Kim Eui Sung, Pyo Ye Jin, Jang Hyuk Jin, and Bae Yoo Ram, who play the five members of the Rainbow Taxi team, will all be returning for this season.

Truly, the ultimate destination for Korean entertainment, KOCOWA+ customers can watch select shows on the same day they air in Korea, like their favorite idols on music chart shows and dig into thousands of high-quality library titles. Discovery is easy, as audiences can immerse themselves in award-winning relatable comedies, dramas, and hilarious reality competitions. For fans of K-pop, there are more than enough idols’ moments to binge on.

With the most extensive library of Korean content, KOCOWA+ has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korea, making KOCOWA+ the preferred destination for fans to watch new series and award-winning library titles or to discover new and exciting Korean content available only on KOCOWA+. KOCOWA+’s millions of viewers are diverse, with 90% of viewers of non-Korean ancestry, in the prime under 44 age demographic.

About wA and KOCOWA+
wA is a global joint company between wavve, SK Square Americas, and the top Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC, & SBS. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. KOCOWA+ provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit www.kocowa.com.

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KOCOWA Brings New K-Pop Reality Show from SM STUDIOS “welcome to NCT Universe” Exclusively To The Americas

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Los Angeles – November 16, 2022 – With the increasing popularity of K-Pop, along with K-Pop fans who are always hungry for new content, the number 1 all-Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to announce that, as part of a new content deal, it will be the exclusive provider of SM STUDIOS’ first global show “welcome to the NCT Universe,” in the Americas, with many more to come.

“welcome to NCT Universe” is a 10-episode reality show that debuts globally on November 16. NCT stands for “Neo Culture Technology” and is a worldwide group that recruits members freely, and…there is no limit on the number of members in the group! Currently, there are 23 active members in the NCT main group and its subunits, which include: the Billboard top 10 and platinum-selling NCT 127, teen-oriented and Billboard 21 under 21 named NCT DREAM, and Chinese boy band WayV.

A reality show, the “welcome to NCT Universe” story unfolds when SMROOKIES receive a mysterious invitation that opens the door to a special NEO CITY tour. Starting their NEO CITY exploration with professional guides SHOTARO and SUNGCHAN, viewers can follow SMROOKIES as they embark on their SMTOWN concert journey with NCT and travel with special friends.

Fans who can’t get enough of NCT can watch over eight other shows from SM C&C’s library featuring the group, including newcomers to the platform “NCT LIFE in Gapyeong” (filmed in 2021) that starts streaming on KOCOWA on November 24 and “WayVision 2” on December 28.

In addition to being the premier destination for many K-Pop stars, KOCOWA will be exclusively adding SM C&C-produced library titles and new shows with SM Entertainment artists in the upcoming months.

Yea Jee Lee, the Executive Producer and SM C&C Contents Business Unit Division Director note, “We are very pleased to partner with KOCOWA on the distribution of these shows across North, Central, and South America, as their audience of millions of K-Pop and Korean entertainment lovers truly hits our sweet spot of NCT fans. They’ve already had success with all seasons of NCT LIFE, so we’re excited to see their audience’s response to these new shows.”

KOCOWA CEO KunHee Park added, “As KOCOWA becomes more and more established as the top destination for Korean programming in the Americas, it’s exciting to work with SM Entertainment and SM C&C, such important leaders, to bring the latest in K-Pop TV to our audience. With these new shows, and our large library of K-Pop idols’ reality, behind-the-scenes, and concert shows, we are thrilled to be the streamer with the most content for dedicated K-Pop fans.”

Since its inception in 2017, KOCOWA has provided thousands of hours of fresh and classic K-Pop performances and reality shows featuring all the favorite idols to satisfy every type of fan. Some of the content includes:

Live Performances – KOCOWA streams three weekly live performance events and concert series that showcase the top shows, songs, and bands of that week. The latest K-Pop debuts and highly anticipated comebacks appear on “Music Bank K-Chart,” “Music Bank World Tour,” “Inkigayo,” and “Show! Music Core.” While these shows are new each week, KOCOWA also has a huge catalog of performances and interviews with favorite K-Pop bands for fans to explore.

Behind the Scenes Shows – KOCOWA has shows that take fans behind the scenes with the top K-Pop idols on tour, shows that feature idols as career coaches, plus auditioning, traveling, and more! Now that BTS has committed to serving in the military, their fans might love to enjoy shows like “Rookie King” where BTS offers a deeper dive into the band’s beginnings, interviews, rehearsals, and more in their absence. Other reality titles include EXO’s “Travel the World on a Ladder,” JYP and Psy’s “LOUD,” and more.

Reality Shows – Many of KOCOWA’s shows feature K-Pop fan favorite idols in everyday life, or as guest stars who play games and compete in challenges with a regular cast. Shows like the long-running, international hit “Running Man,” “Home Alone,” “The Manager,” “Idol Sports Athletic Challenge,” and others feature top music celebrities from South Korea like BTS, BlackPink, aespa, and many others.

KOCOWA’s popularity in Latin America is driven by this K-Pop programming, along with K-Dramas subtitled in Spanish. In the US, KOCOWA’s audience is 27% Latino, which is significantly overrepresented than their 19% of the US population.

About SM C&C (SM Culture & Contents)
SM C&C is a media production company that produces a variety of headline-grabbing, profitable high-quality content for local and overseas TV channels and OTT platforms by collaborating with top-tier local celebrities and artists, and strives to be No.1 in the global content business.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas, in 2017 with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 20,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com

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KOCOWA Announces New Content for December

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Eagerly Awaited “The Forbidden Marriage,” Beloved Annual Music Festival “Gayo Daejeon,” “aespa’s Synk Road” and Much More!

Los Angeles, CA – KOCOWA, the top all-Korean content streamer, is excited to announce several shows coming to the platform in December. Since KOCOWA is a joint company between Korea’s top three broadcast networks, it airs the shows just hours after they appear in Korea, a must for dedicated K-Drama and K-Pop fans!

The highly anticipated K-Drama “The Forbidden Marriage” will debut on KOCOWA on December 9. The period romance drama is based on screenwriter Chun Ji Hye’s own popular novel and webtoon of the same title. Set in the historical Joseon period, the show follows the story of King Lee Heon, who issued a marriage ban while grief-stricken after the death of his crown princess seven years earlier. Park Ju Hyun, who audiences may recognize from “Extracurricular” and “Zombie Detective,” plays a fearless con artist who claims that she can be possessed by the late crown princess’ spirit. This epic drama will air on Fridays and Saturdays and stars Kim Young Dae, who appeared in fan favorites like “Extraordinary You,” “The Penthouse,” and most recently, “Shooting Stars” and Kim Woo-Seok from “Rookie Cop” and “Voice” seasons 2-4.

On December 24th SBS’s Gayo Daejeon will stream just in time to help celebrate a K-POP Christmas! SHINee’s Key, ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo, and IVE’s An Yu Jin will host this Idol-studded show. The confirmed lineup for performances includes KOCOWA K-POP reality show stars like aespa, NCT 127, NCT Dream and other fan favorites like Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, ATEEZ, ITZY, TXT, aespa, ENHYPEN, IVE, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, and NewJeans. This show is sure to get every K-POP fan’s holiday off to an exciting start!

Debuting on December 28, “aespa’s Synk Road” adds even more K-POP content to the over 9,100 hours currently available on KOCOWA. aespa, a fourth-generation K-POP girl group, stars in their first reality travel show. Their first destinations on the Synk Road are Gangwon’s East Sea, a popular beach destination, and the mountainous site of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang. Throughout the trip, the band members go on various missions where they must earn or find hidden ae-key cards to complete the Synk Road as they enjoy their trip. Can aespa successfully complete the first Synk Road and open the door to the next Synk Road?

aespa consists of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ningning. They debuted on November 17, 2020, with the hit single “Black Mamba.” The group has really blown up this year, including a performance at Coachella, inclusions in Time magazine’s Next Generation Leaders list, and on Forbes’ 30 Under 30. They also signed with Warner Records, and they spoke and performed at the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2022.

Other new shows launching in December include two new K-Dramas, and new reality shows featuring K-POP Idols, and six awards shows celebrating the best entertainment of 2022:

More K-Dramas:
“Recipe for Farewell,” launched December 1st, is about a family whose sweet working mom finds herself unable to eat while suffering from cancer. Her husband, who has never cooked before, begins cooking to take care of her health and the family’s meals. He handpicks the ingredients and tries to develop healthy recipes to make each meal precious and healing. Although he may be clumsy, he begins to realize how he treasures the time spent cooking and having meals together with his family.

“Red Balloon,” premieres on December 17th. Seo Ji Hye from the hit “Crash Landing On You,” stars alongside Lee Sung Jae, Hong Soo Hyun, and Lee Sang Woo in a story about four people trying to quench their desires and apprise their heartbreaks in this slice-of-life dramedy.

More Reality Shows featuring K-Pop Idols:
On the 11th, “Adventure By Accident,” a reality show, features Kian84 and Lee Si Eon from the popular reality series “Home Alone” as they travel around South America. This has been called “a travel show like never seen before!”

“K-Idol Goods Tour Paradaro” debuts December 22nd. This show features WEi and fromis_9, two of the most popular idol groups in Korea, as they go on a trip for two days and a night to sell specific goods. In each episode, they play hilarious games or are forced to barter with the production crew to get items essential for survival, selling, and enjoying this exciting and fun-filled trip.

More Year-end/Awards Shows:
“KBS Song Festival” kicks off the year-end award shows on December 16th. This show will be hosted by comedian Kim Shin Young, “Music Bank MC” host Jang Won Yeong, and “2 Days and One Night” star Na In Woo. The show celebrates the musical hits of the year and features favorite songs, performances, and pop-culture moments, and it is known to consistently deliver an experience that is beyond fans’ wildest imaginations!

“SBS Entertainment Awards” streams December 17th, and will be hosted by the 2021’s winner of “Variety Entertainer of the Year” Tak Jae Hoon. This awards show celebrates and recognizes the stars and the variety shows they are on. Always entertaining with lots of appearances from fan favorites from the year’s top shows!

“MBC Entertainment Awards” debuts December 29th – A recap of all of the trending moments in entertainment that defined the year featuring fans’ favorite moments, idol appearances, and lots of fun! It will be hosted by Jeon Hyun Moo from “Home Alone,” and “Idol Track and Field Championships,” Lee Yi Kyung, who has become popular on “How Do You Play?” and singer, actress, and entrepreneur Kang Min Kyung.

“MBC Music Festival” debuts December 31 – This will be hosted again by three popular hosts – Lee Jun Ho (singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor,) Yoona (part of the hit band Girl’s Generation and an actress considered as one of the top Idol-actresses today,) and Jang Seong Gyu (a popular host and personality). This show is a celebration of all things K-POP.

Finally, the “MBC Drama Awards” debut on December 30thst – Top South Korean TV host Kim Seong Joo will be the sole MC for the third consecutive year. From dramas with various genres and characters, such as “Tracer,” “Witch’s Game,” and “FanLetter, Please,” which were greatly loved on MBC in 2022, to “The Forbidden Marriage,” the most anticipated show at the end of the year, all the dramas that made viewers stop everything they were doing to watch in 2022 will be celebrated and awarded. Who will be the main character to take the glory in 2022?

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-POP content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information, please visit: www.kocowa.com

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Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA Celebrates Their 5th Anniversary by Releasing Five of the Top Korean TV Shows Available Exclusively on KOCOWA

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Los Angeles, CA – The number one 100% Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to celebrate its 5th Anniversary this summer by offering its dedicated audience of K-culture fans five popular Korean TV shows exclusively on the KOCOWA app and on their channel on select partners such as Prime Video, Roku and Comcast.

In addition to KOCOWA Exclusives hits like It’s Beautiful Now and Tracer, the five new exclusive shows are Merry Queer, the very first Korean LGBTQ+ reality dating show; Boar Hunt, a new drama about all of the secrets brought to light as a mountain village searches for a missing child; No, Thank You, a show about a new wife learning to deal with her traditional in-laws; High Kick!, a beloved ensemble sitcom in a vein similar to Modern Family; and Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer, that features huge stars like Kim Jong Kook from Running Man, Noh Sang Hyun from Pachinko, Ji Hyun Woo from the recent hit Young Lady and Gentleman, Joo Woo Jae from Love Naggers, and Olympian Hwang Dae Heon, as they travel around the world introducing people to all things Korean.

KOCOWA has been on a fantastic trajectory since its 2017 launch with 40% YOY growth. In addition to the app and device partners Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, LG Smart TVs, etc., KOCOWA has also set up B2B deals with a number of partners including MVPDs Comcast Xfinity X1, Flex + Cox Communications, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, OnDemandKorea, among others, with more to come.

In addition to having a solid presence in North America with English and Spanish subtitled content KOCOWA is also available in Central and South America, and in Brazil with Portuguese subtitles. KOCOWA is also responding to its large Spanish-speaking fan base by doubling the amount of its hit shows now available with Spanish subtitled content.

CEO of waave Americas, the parent company of KOCOWA, KunHee Park notes, “leading the wave of Korean content going global has been exceptionally gratifying these past five years. Being able to bring a diverse array of content to our audiences is very important to us. Seeing the ever-increasing subscriber base for KOCOWA, along with other Korean global hits, and pop stars like BTS, show the world is very interested in Korean content. We are excited to bring some of the best and most diverse Korean TV to a global audience as we continue to expand to new territories and offer programming subtitled in more languages.”

Truly the ultimate destination for Korean entertainment, on KOCOWA customers can watch select shows on the same day they air in Korea, like their favorite idols on music chart shows, and dig into thousands of high-quality library titles. Discovery is easy, as audiences can immerse themselves in award-winning relatable comedies and dramas, and hilarious reality competitions. For fans of K-pop, there are more than enough idols’ moments to binge on.

KOCOWA makes Korean TV accessible to new viewers by showcasing the Top 10 current series, featuring an impressive lineup of addictive hits, including It’s Beautiful Now, Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo, The Penthouse, Hwrang: Warrior Poet Youth, and long-time fan favorites like Running Man and Home Alone. BTS recently performed their latest single live on the popular Korean show Music Bank K-Chart, and fans worldwide were able to see it via the KOCOWA app.

As the service provider in the Americas with the largest library of Korean content, KOCOWA has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. KOCOWA’s millions of viewers are diverse, with 90% of viewers of non-Korean ancestry, in the prime under 44 age demographic, and female. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korea, making KOCOWA the preferred destination for fans to watch new series, and award-winning library titles, or to discover new and exciting Korean content available only on KOCOWA.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com.

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Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA and The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) to Host an immersive K-Drama and Running Man Booth at KCON Los Angeles on August 19-21, 2022

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KCon Collage of imagesLos Angeles – Korean content streamer KOCOWA and The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a South Korean governmental agency that oversees and promotes the advancement of the Korean content industry, are teaming up to host a booth themed around fan favorite K-Dramas and the top-rated and long-running Korean TV show, Running Man, at the 10th Anniversary KCON LA 2022 event taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from August 19-21, 2022.

KOCOWA is a joint company between wavve Americas (wA), and the top three Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS, along with SK Telecom. KOCOWA’s international service allows customers to access new authentic content from Korea daily via their mix of K-Dramas, K-Pop, K- Reality, and K-Variety, in addition to thousands of hit and highly rated library titles.

“With Korean content’s mainstream wave in the Western Hemisphere breaking recently, we are excited to be the only streamer 100% dedicated to Korea’s fresh storytelling and diverse programming,” said wA CEO KunHee Park. “As a niche streaming service with broad reach, KOCOWA is well-positioned to be competitive in the battle among streaming services by super-serving fans of Korean-produced content. We are looking forward to meeting our viewers in person and providing them some fun at KCON LA 2022.”

“The love and demand for Korean content is by no means secret but has become a global sensation with record-breaking content and K-Pop artists such as Squid Game and Parasite, to BTS and Blackpink,” says Sung Ho Ju, the director of KOCCA USA. “KOCCA is excited to be part of this year’s KCON LA 2022. We look forward to meeting and celebrating all things Korean with Hallyu fans at the event. We will continue to support the Korean content industry so that more audiences around the world will have a chance to fall in love and to engage with Korean culture and content.”

KCON LA 2022 is the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music. The event launched in Los Angeles in 2012. It features an entire convention center to explore K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Beauty, K-Food, and beyond through engaging panels, an expo overflowing with innovative products and idol appearances, KCON LA 2022-exclusive programs, and artist engagements giving fans a chance to meet their favorite K-Pop stars—along with star-studded “M COUNTDOWN” concerts featuring K-Pop legends alongside the hottest rookies in the industry.

Running Man is a reality-variety show that stars Yu Jae Seok, Kim Jong Kook, Haha, Jee Seok Jin, Song Ji Hyo, Lee Kwang Soo, Jeon So Min, and Yang Se Chan. In each episode, they must complete missions at various places to win the race. Each mission is action-packed and hilarious as each member tries to beat the others using their wits and skills. Each week is filled with fun that includes trust and betrayal, knowledge and skills, physical strength and outrageous penalties. Sometimes, they work as a team and cooperate for one common goal. Other times, they betray each other throughout the race in order to win all the honor and glory for themselves. Viewers can be brought to tears each week from laughing at their silly antics!

With its global success, Running Man has welcomed appearances from Hollywood actors like Jackie Chan (episode 135), Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill (episode 410), Ryan Reynolds (episode 482), and K-pop stars, including BTS. All seasons of Running Man are available to view on KOCOWA. The show has also made its stars Yoo Jae Suk, Haha, Jee Seok Jin, Kim Jong Kook, Song Ji Hyo, Jeon So Min, and Yang Se Chan into globally recognized stars as well.

At the KOCOWA x KOCCA booth, fans will be able to play games from the show and insert themselves into their favorite K-Dramas and pose with beloved characters selected by the fans themselves. They will also be giving away collectible dolls and items from their hottest shows signed by the stars. Between KOCCA and KOCOWA, stars and idols have been known to stop by the booth for photos, so KCON LA 2022 attendees should check the booth often to see who they might meet!

As the service provider in the Americas with the largest library of Korean content, KOCOWA has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korean, making KOCOWA the preferred destination for fans to watch new series and award-winning library titles or to discover new and exciting Korean content only available on KOCOWA.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas, in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 17,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in several languages on its direct platform. For more information, please visit: www.kocowa.com

About KOCCA
As the umbrella government agency for South Korea’s content industry, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) supports creating and maintaining the content industry ecosystem in Korea. KOCCA supports a wide range of creative industries, including game, animation, character licensing, K-Pop, fashion, and broadcasting. KOCCA actively supports these industries via production support, marketing, global expansion, talent development, funding support, cultural technology development, and policy research. For more information, please visit: www.kocca.kr/en.

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