Why is Naver shutting down VIBE and Naver TV?

Naver is trimming services that underperformed or grew slowly so it can redirect resources to AI, commerce and higher-growth digital infrastructure. The company said VIBE struggled in a crowded music streaming market, while Naver TV users, subscribers and view counts will be moved to Clip.

What happened to Naver AI Tab and how widely is it being used?

AI Tab launched in June and had surpassed 10 million monthly active users by early August, according to CEO Choi Soo-yeon. She also said its shopping and local content click-through rate exceeded 40 percent, showing that searches were turning into purchases and reservations.

What are the details of Naver’s AI factory plan with Nvidia and Brookfield?

Naver said it got a $1 billion strategic investment from Nvidia and chose Brookfield as its preferred capital partner to raise up to $9 billion. The company plans to start operating a 55-megawatt global AI factory in the first half of 2027, expand to 200 megawatts by 2028 and eventually reach 1 gigawatt.

Naver winds down services to bolster AI, commerce businesses

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Summary

Naver is shutting down slow-growing services to redirect resources toward AI, commerce and digital infrastructure. It will end VIBE on Dec. 31 and suspend new subscriptions and payments from Nov. 27. The company is also closing Naver TV on Sept. 30 and has already folded Clova X and Cue: into newer search features. Naver said AI Tab has topped 10 million monthly active users and is expanding AI infrastructure with Nvidia and Brookfield.

Key Facts

VIBE will shut down on Dec. 31, about eight years after its June 2018 launch, and new subscriptions and payments will stop on Nov. 27.
Wiseapp Retail said VIBE monthly active users fell to 460,000 in June from about 1.5 million in 2023.
Naver TV will shut down on Sept. 30, and its creators, subscribers and view counts will move to the short-form video platform Clip.
Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said AI Tab surpassed 10 million monthly active users as of early August, and its click-through rate for shopping and local content exceeded 40 percent.
Naver secured a $1 billion strategic investment from Nvidia and named Brookfield its preferred capital partner to raise up to $9 billion for an AI factory, with a 55-megawatt global AI factory planned for the first half of 2027 and 200 megawatts by 2028.

By Lee Gyu-lee

Published Sep 7, 2026 7:00 am KST

Naver refines monetization strategy by converting AI services

A poster for Naver's new live-streaming platform Chzzk / Courtesy of Naver

Naver is stepping up efforts to streamline its business portfolio by shutting down underperforming or slow-growing services and reallocating resources to artificial intelligence (AI), commerce and other higher-growth digital infrastructure.

The internet giant recently announced that it will shut down its music streaming platform VIBE on Dec. 31, about eight years after its launch in June 2018, with new subscriptions and payments to be suspended from Nov. 27.

The decision comes as VIBE struggled to gain traction in an increasingly competitive domestic music streaming market. According to the market tracker Wiseapp Retail, the platform’s monthly active users fell to 460,000 in June from around 1.5 million in 2023, putting it far behind YouTube Music, Spotify and Melon.

Naver has already shifted toward partnerships with established platforms, adding Spotify’s premium plan to its Naver Plus Membership benefits.

The latest decision follows the company’s broader effort to streamline its service portfolio. The company is also shutting down its video streaming platform, Naver TV, on Sept. 30, moving creators’ videos, subscribers and view counts to its short-form video platform Clip.

The move will refocus its video business on Clip and the new live streaming platform Chzzk, which have gained traction in their respective markets.

In April, Naver also closed its conversational AI service Clova X and generative AI search service Cue:, folding the technology and experience gained from the services into newer search features such as AI Briefing and AI Tab.

Last year, it ended its creator platform, Naver Post, and website-building service Modoo.

Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin, right, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shake hands after signing a $1 billion strategic investment agreement at Nvidia's headquarters in Calif., July 24 (local time). Courtesy of Naver

The restructuring comes as Naver seeks to monetize AI across its core businesses rather than operate a growing number of standalone services.

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call that AI Tab, launched in June, had surpassed 10 million monthly active users as of early August. She added that the click-through rate for shopping and local content on AI Tab exceeded 40 percent, indicating that users’ searches were translating into actual purchases and reservations.

Naver is also expanding AI agents across shopping, maps, real estate and health services, while upgrading its AI-powered search and commerce offerings.

The company is also accelerating its push into AI infrastructure. Last month, it secured a $1 billion strategic investment from Nvidia and named Brookfield its preferred capital partner to raise up to $9 billion for the development of an AI factory.

The company plans to begin operating a 55-megawatt global AI factory in the first half of 2027 and expand capacity to 200 megawatts by 2028, with a long-term goal of reaching 1 gigawatt.

Naver refines monetization strategy by converting AI services

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