K-Drama Streaming Sites Aim For Stateside Longevity

Popular around the world, K-dramas and Korean variety shows have a sizeable audience in the United States, and DramaFever was one of the most popular access points due to its substantial catalog.

While not the only site dedicated to bringing Asian content to Americans, its sudden closure has been met with surprise and disappointment from fans, many of whom report being caught off-guard by DramaFever’s demise mid-watch.

As a way to gain access to more programming options, Viki teamed up with a new streaming site Kocowa to license some of its content, essentially gaining access to all titles that air on three of Korea’s largest broadcasters. A subsidiary of Korea Content Platform (KCP), the streaming platform’s name is derived from the phrase “Korean Content Wave,” and is a joint venture between South Korean networks KBS (Korean Broadcasting Company), MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) and SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System).

The site’s creation in 2016 was meant to help streamline Korean television content overseas, and for the companies to gain direct access to international audiences; all three Korean broadcasters previously relied on outside sources, including both Viki and DramaFever, to get data regarding the audience and popularity of South Korean television overseas, but now have more direct access through their own joint platform.