NAVER shares rise as the South Korea-Czech Republic broadcast begins at 11 a.m. on the 12th. Captured from NAVER Pay Securities
A “watch-together” stream of the Czech Republic match on NAVER Chzzk’s “Plave” channel. Captured from NAVER Chzzk
Koo Ja-cheol and Moon Seon-min join a stream on NAVER Chzzk’s “Shoot for Love” channel on the 12th. Captured from NAVER Chzzk
Naver (035420.KS) shared in the celebration after South Korea’s national football team pulled off a thrilling come-from-behind victory in its first World Cup match. Chzzk, Naver’s exclusive online and mobile broadcaster for the tournament, drew a record number of users, fully reaping the World Cup effect.
Viewers flooded in each time Hwang In-beom scored the equalizer and Oh Hyun-gyu netted the winner, pushing peak concurrent viewers to 4.82 million. Expectations are also growing that Chzzk, which started as a gaming platform, could leap into a major sports platform on the back of the World Cup.
Six Times the Worlds Record: 4.82 Million Concurrent Viewers Explode
Naver said Chzzk recorded a peak of 4.82 million concurrent viewers during the South Korea-Czech Republic group-stage match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, held Thursday. The figure combines users on Chzzk’s dedicated broadcast channel and on the “Watch Together” feature, where streamers broadcast alongside.
It is the largest record ever, immediately surpassing the peak of 760,000 concurrent viewers recorded during the “2025 League of Legends (LoL) World Championship” last November.
Chzzk is a platform specializing in gaming and live streaming provided by Naver, allowing free interaction with viewers through real-time broadcasts.
What is more striking is that the match took place at 11 a.m. on a weekday. Even though many office workers and students were active during that time, millions flocked to the online broadcast.
In particular, after South Korea conceded the opening goal in the 59th minute, Hwang In-beom’s equalizer and Oh Hyun-gyu’s go-ahead goal followed in dramatic fashion, and the number of viewers reportedly surged.
“We were quite worried because the match was during office workers’ working hours on a weekday morning,” a Naver official said. “We are pleased that about 10 percent of our country’s population gathered, based on strong play and expectations for a win.”
“Chzzk, Not TV”: Why Naver’s Gamble Paid Off
This World Cup was seen as the biggest test for Chzzk’s growth, as Naver secured exclusive online and mobile broadcasting rights. Naver mobilized AI technology and its creator ecosystem beyond simple broadcasting.
Chzzk offered a “Watch Together” service featuring popular creators including “Han Dong-suk,” “Wolf,” “Shoot for Love,” “ESTA TV,” “Channel Sibseoya,” and “PLAVE.” Viewers could simultaneously enjoy real-time chat, commentary, and reaction content alongside the match footage.
In fact, the “Watch Together” broadcast of popular streamer PLAVE drew up to about 350,000 viewers, serving as a separate hit channel.
“In the past, when there were major matches such as national team games, families gathered in front of the TV to watch together, but the rapid increase in single-person households fragmented viewing platforms and behavior, allowing single-person streaming platforms to grow,” a Naver official said. “In particular, the differentiating point of being able to watch while communicating through chat with a favorite streamer through the ‘Watch Together’ service seems to have worked as an advantage.”
Naver also introduced an AI briefing service utilizing official FIFA data. Before matches, it provides expected lineups and tactical analysis, and after matches, it automatically generates and provides player ratings and match analysis.
It also instantly generated and provided real-time AI short-form clips and player-by-player highlight videos during matches, differentiating itself from existing TV broadcasts.
World Cup Boom in Full Swing: Membership and Advertising Effects Expected
For Naver, this carries meaning beyond simple viewer numbers. South Korean national team matches can be watched for free on Chzzk, but high-definition (1080p) viewing requires a Naver Plus membership or a paid Chzzk product. The strategy is to increase new subscribers through the World Cup and connect this to use of shopping and commerce services.
Naver is also running a match prediction event during the tournament with Coca-Cola, an official FIFA sponsor. It is encouraging user participation by offering up to 1 million won worth of Naver Pay points to those who correctly predict all match results.
Meanwhile, Chzzk improved its streaming quality in time for the World Cup opening. It raised the level to a maximum of 1080p, 60 frames per second (fps), and 5 Mbps, optimizing it for watching sports matches.
Naver also said it is preparing features that adjust advertising frequency and allow users to directly control ad audio.
The industry believes that if the South Korean national team advances past the group stage into the knockout rounds, Chzzk’s user numbers and advertising revenue will grow even more steeply. Attention is focused on whether the World Cup fever that began with the come-from-behind victory in the first match will lead to a new growth engine for Naver.