Coupang seeks to air NBA games exclusively
Coupang's logistics center in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. / Korea times file
By Kim Jae-heun
The country's largest e-commerce firm Coupang is said to be talking with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) to secure exclusive rights to air their games in Korea.
Coupang has yet to provide any over-the-top (OTT) services. However, it is preparing to launch a platform next year. Coupang officials said the company is not in a position to comment on client-related issues.
Amid the competitive local OTT market, Coupang has been exploring the possibilities of offering original content or broadcasting popular sports games live.
In July, Coupang acquired Singaporean OTT service “HOOQ,” which was once one of the top three players in the Southeast Asian market. And the company recently applied for trademark rights for OTT platform names such as “Coupang Streaming” and “Coupang Play,” while registering a business for streaming music and videos online. Other local e-commerce firms have already started providing original content.
For a comparison, its chief local rival Ticket Monster (TMON) started its “live commerce” service, in which show hosts introduce products on shows which consumers can watch on their mobile phones. Unlike television home shopping channels, customers can communicate with show hosts by asking questions via a chat function on the platform.