Korean entertainment expands its reach with Samsung TV Plus
A new era for Korean content in the U.S.
Leading Korean content owners, including CJ ENM and NEW ID, have recently inked supply deals with Samsung TV Plus, a U.S.-based free ad-supported TV (FAST) channel. This collaboration brings an impressive 4,000 hours of free-to-stream shows and movies to the platform, making it one of the largest providers of Korean content in the U.S. market. Samsung TV Plus is pre-installed and free to stream on Samsung TVs, Galaxy devices, Family Hub, and smart monitors.
Salek Brodsky, senior VP & GM of Samsung TV Plus, emphasized the growing popularity of Korean content, stating, “K-Content is no longer niche – it’s one of the fastest growing and most watched categories globally.”
Monthly exclusives and hit series
The lineup on Samsung TV Plus will feature monthly exclusives from CJ ENM, South Korea’s biggest film and TV conglomerate. Viewers can look forward to hit series such as Voice 4 and Dark Hole, along with the romantic drama Doom at Your Service.
Unscripted shows and travel adventures
In addition to scripted dramas, the channel will premiere several unscripted shows in the U.S., including popular food entertainment programs like The Genius Paik and Three Meals a Day. Travel enthusiasts can enjoy shows such as House on Wheels and Youn’s Kitchen. The psychological thriller drama Beyond Evil, distributed by NEW ID, will also be arriving soon.
Korean movies with international acclaim
Korean movies have long enjoyed an international following, and Samsung TV Plus is set to enhance its film offerings. The updated lineup will include critically acclaimed films like Burning, featuring Steven Yeun, and A Taxi Driver, starring Song Kang-ho, which was Korea’s Oscar contender in 2017. Both films are sourced from NEW.
Additional film titles
From KT Alpha, the channel has acquired titles such as Joint Security Area, Oh! Brothers, The President’s Last Bang, and 26 Years. The channel operators are also in negotiations with “hundreds” of other providers to further expand their content library.
Expanding the impact of Korean entertainment
Seo Jang-ho, SVP of CJ ENM’s content business division, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating, “Through Samsung TV Plus, we are excited not only to bring our diverse content libraries to international audiences but also to explore new collaboration opportunities to further expand the impact of Korean entertainment.”
Advertising and market reach
Advertising will run during commercial breaks, leveraging Samsung Ads’ market-leading capabilities. Brodsky highlighted the synergy between their advertising business and content distribution, noting, “Our market-leading advertising business, Samsung Ads, complements our unique capabilities and deep understanding of consumers with first-party data to deliver high-impact advertising solutions for brands on a massive scale.”
The competitive landscape of Korean content
The competition among streaming platforms and channels to deliver Korean content is fierce. Major players like Netflix and Disney are investing heavily in premium proprietary Korean films and TV shows. Netflix is behind Uprising, the opening night title of the Busan International Film Festival. Other platforms like KOCOWA, Rakuten Viki, and Disney are also streaming concerts and documentary fare. Meanwhile, CJ ENM is a dominant investor behind Tving, a Korea-based streaming platform with films, series, and sports, which has also expressed ambitions to expand abroad.
The future of FAST channels
Brodsky emphasized the importance of FAST channels in the current media landscape, stating, “Many of our partners operate successful subscription services and support different business models in order to maximize the monetization and reach of their content. FAST is here to stay and has proven to be yet another high-impact and complementary distribution channel for their programming. Samsung TV Plus is available on more than 600 million devices worldwide, and is an unrivaled platform for the global distribution of content, particularly for movies and TV shows that transcend cultures and borders.”
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