Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA Celebrates Their 5th Anniversary by Releasing Five of the Top Korean TV Shows Available Exclusively on KOCOWA
August 08, 2022
LOS ANGELES, August 08, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The number one 100% Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to celebrate its 5th Anniversary this summer by offering its dedicated audience of K-culture fans five popular Korean TV shows exclusively on the KOCOWA app and on their channel on select partners such as Prime Video, Roku and Comcast.
In addition to KOCOWA Exclusives hits like It’s Beautiful Now and Tracer, the five new exclusive shows are Merry Queer, the very first Korean LGBTQ+ reality dating show; Boar Hunt, a new drama about all of the secrets brought to light as a mountain village searches for a missing child; No, Thank You, a show about a new wife learning to deal with her traditional in-laws; High Kick!, a beloved ensemble sitcom in a vein similar to Modern Family; and Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer, that features huge stars like Kim Jong Kook from Running Man, Noh Sang Hyun from Pachinko, Ji Hyun Woo from the recent hit Young Lady and Gentleman, Joo Woo Jae from Love Naggers, and Olympian Hwang Dae Heon, as they travel around the world introducing people to all things Korean.
KOCOWA has been on a fantastic trajectory since its 2017 launch with 40% YOY growth. In addition to the app and device partners Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, LG Smart TVs, etc., KOCOWA has also set up B2B deals with a number of partners including MVPDs Comcast Xfinity X1, Flex + Cox Communications, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, OnDemandKorea, among others, with more to come.
In addition to having a solid presence in North America with English and Spanish subtitled content KOCOWA is also available in Central and South America, and in Brazil with Portuguese subtitles. KOCOWA is also responding to its large Spanish-speaking fan base by doubling the amount of its hit shows now available with Spanish subtitled content.
CEO of waave Americas, the parent company of KOCOWA, KunHee Park notes, “Leading the wave of Korean content going global has been exceptionally gratifying these past five years. Being able to bring a diverse array of content to our audiences is very important to us. Seeing the ever-increasing subscriber base for KOCOWA, along with other Korean global hits, and pop stars like BTS, show the world is very interested in Korean content. We are excited to bring some of the best and most diverse Korean TV to a global audience as we continue to expand to new territories and offer programming subtitled in more languages.”
Truly the ultimate destination for Korean entertainment, on KOCOWA customers can watch select shows on the same day they air in Korea, like their favorite idols on music chart shows, and dig into thousands of high-quality library titles. Discovery is easy, as audiences can immerse themselves in award-winning relatable comedies and dramas, and hilarious reality competitions. For fans of K-pop, there are more than enough idols’ moments to binge on.
KOCOWA makes Korean TV accessible to new viewers by showcasing the Top 10 current series, featuring an impressive lineup of addictive hits, including It’s Beautiful Now, Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo, The Penthouse, Hwrang: Warrior Poet Youth, and long-time fan favorites like Running Man and Home Alone. BTS recently performed their latest single live on the popular Korean show Music Bank K-Chart, and fans worldwide were able to see it via the KOCOWA app.
As the service provider in the Americas with the largest library of Korean content, KOCOWA has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. KOCOWA’s millions of viewers are diverse, with 90% of viewers of non-Korean ancestry, in the prime under 44 age demographic, and female. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korea, making KOCOWA the preferred destination for fans to watch new series, and award-winning library titles, or to discover new and exciting Korean content available only on KOCOWA.
About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com
A new 16-episode drama based on a webcomic about an ex-Navy officer turned taxi driver after his mother’s death by a serial killer. Do-Ki [Lee Je Hoon] now works for the Rainbow Taxi company delivering justice to the underserved with their straight to the point company motto: “Don’t Die, get Revenge. We’ll Do it for You.”
The penthouse
The award-winning story about Korea’s high society and the lengths they will take to stay on top, including revenge, betrayal, and even murder. One of 2020s biggest hits, and recognized at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards and the 2021 Baeksang Awards for it’s ensemble cast. The revenge continues with Season 3 premiering summer 2021.
Home Alone
Home Alone is a reality show that captures the everyday lives of your favorite celebrities in the most intimate setting, their homes. The show invites viewers to closely observe how celebrities actually live during their downtime when not performing on stage or acting on set. With Jun Hyun Moo, Park Na Rae, Han Hye Jin, and Lee Si Eon as the hosts, they observe the lives of their weekly celebrity guests, including actors and actresses, models, athletes, and comedians. Each episode has the hosts comment on their guest’s daily life which they have recorded in a “Big Brother” style format for everyone to view. No matter the gender, lifestyle, or personality, each celebrity has one thing in common – they all live alone!
Show Music Core
Since it’s inception in 2005, Show! Music Core is a music show that strives to be unique. Each week, a variety of artists perform, while viewers can listen, see, and experience the best that K-Pop has to offer. Cha Eun Woo and Xi Yeon introduce the top artists of the week, and viewers vote on their 3 favorite songs. Sing and dance along with your favorites and see which artists and songs will win the most popular song of the week.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
What else could there be to life other than barbells and heavy weights? Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) is a weightlifting phenom who has only focused on barbells her entire life while growing up with her single father, Kim Chang Gul (Ahn Gil Kang), a former weightlifter. However, Kim Bok-joo’s world is turned upside down when she starts to realize that there’s a little more to life than just lifting weights and starts to begrudgingly develop a love interest in Jung Joon Hyung (Nam Joo Hyuk). A boy she considers a distraction in her journey to receiving a gold medal.
Running Man
Running Man is a reality-competition show with a fixed cast starring Yu Jae Seok, Kim Jong Kook, Haha, Jee Seok Jin, Song Ji Hyo, Lee Kwang Soo, Jeon So Min, and Yang Se Chan. On special occasions they host celebrity guests such as BTS or even American actors such as Ryan Reynolds. In each episode, they must all complete a series of missions to win and be rewarded. Missions can range from simple games like the Egg and Spoon Race, Telephone, or more elaborate ones like, Capture the Flag inside an entire department store or even compete in Olympic style sports. Sometimes they work as a team and cooperate to reach a common goal. Other times they betray each other throughout the competition in order to win all the honor and glory for themselves. Each mission is action-packed and hilarious as each member tries to beat each other using their wits and skills. Each week is filled with fun that includes trust and betrayal, knowledge and skills, physical strengths, and outrageous penalties. You will cry laughing from all of their crazy antics!
Music Bank K-Chart
Music Bank K-Chart is KBS’s longest running music show and features the top 50 songs of the week. Every episode is a concert from all the popular artists of the week, and you can watch it all from the comforts of your home. From newly debuted rookies, artists comebacks, indie bands, globally recognized idol groups, and much more, there is something to satisfy all your K-pop needs. With eye-catching performances and beautiful melodies that will echo in your heart, this concert showcase will even attract the K-pop novice. Tune-in every week to see which artist and song will win the most popular song of the week.
The King of Mask Singer
The King of Mask Singer is the popular South Korean singing competition show, where contestants wear masks to hide their identity. The purpose of the mask is to dispel the prejudice that people often have of singers. Every week, the judges and the audience must vote for who will become the next King of Mask Singer. The show’s global recognition has even been adapted by FOX as, “The Masked Singer”, and has also been adapted around the world.
SBS Inkigayo
Since its inception in 2000, SBS Inkigayo has been a weekend music show which introduces viewers to Korea’s most popular artists. Every Sunday, famous artists as well as up and coming talent perform in front of a live audience. In order to get a better understanding of the music, the hosts interview their guests to showcase the songs from their recent singles and albums. Inkigayo also highlights each week’s trending songs and ends each episode by awarding the most popular artist. Tune-in to see who is the winner of the week, and enjoy the most popular K-Pop songs.