Coupang Play brings 'Game of Thrones,' HBO, Max titles to Korean viewers

By KTimes

Coupang Play will soon offer hit HBO series such as “Game of Thrones” and its prequel “House of the Dragon” exclusively to Korean audiences, following a new content partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Coupang Play announced Tuesday that it had signed a partnership agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to stream a range of premium content in Korea starting March 21. The deal grants Coupang Play exclusive access to HBO and Max titles, as well as Warner Bros. Pictures films.

Under the agreement, Coupang Play will offer a wide array of popular HBO originals, including the fantasy epic “Game of Thrones,” the romantic comedy “Sex and the City,” and the critically acclaimed miniseries “Chernobyl.”

Recent HBO titles drawing attention include the prequel series “House of the Dragon,” based on events preceding “Game of Thrones,” the video game adaptation “The Last of Us,” and “The White Lotus,” which features BLACKPINK’s Lisa in its upcoming season. Coupang Play exclusively streamed director Park Chan-wook’s HBO drama “The Sympathizer” in Korea in April 2024.

While Coupang Play has gained a strong foothold through its coverage of major sports events such as the K League, European football leagues, Formula One (F1), and the NFL, it has lagged behind competitors in non-sports content.

The new partnership is expected to bolster its original content offerings and strengthen its competitiveness in Korea’s OTT market.

Coupang Play’s key competitor, Tving, has also been expanding its content library by acquiring exclusive rights to KBO League baseball games and bringing in Apple TV+ original content since late last year.

“We are thrilled to expand Coupang Play’s content library through this strategic partnership with HBO, a global leader in premium storytelling,” said Jang Guk-sung, head of content acquisition division at Coupang Play. “We will continue to grow our offerings to provide viewers with the best entertainment experience possible.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.