WEBTOON Breaks SEA Weekly Transaction Amount Record as Local and Korean Content Gain Popularity
WEBTOON Breaks SEA Weekly Transaction Amount Record as Local and Korean Content Gain Popularity
WEBTOON Breaks SEA Weekly Transaction Amount Record as Local and Korean Content Gain Popularity
- Transaction amounts for paid content increased due to heightened demand for webcomic series based on local folklore and popular content from Korea
- MAU in the region surpassed 13 million, generating greater interest in webcomics and contributing to the expansion of the content creation ecosystem.
2020-03-17
WEBTOON announced today that the weekly transaction amounts for paid webcomic content in Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia have reached an all-time high. This reflects the platform’s popularity in the region as it continues its lead in local webcomic markets while nurturing its homegrown content creation ecosystem.
In February, the transaction amounts for WEBTOON’s paid content in Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan in the first week of February increased 68% YOY, setting a new record. The monthly transaction amount for paid content across the three countries also saw a significant increase in the same month at about 55% YOY.
This indicates that recently released popular webcomic series in Korea and locally-produced content throughout Southeast Asia are generating a synergy effect and creating an impact among readers. Webcomic series such as ‘Marry My Husband’ by LICO and Sungsojak, and ‘Teenage Mercenary’ by YC and Rakyeon, have become smash hit series in the Southeast Asian market, highlighting the power of borderless content that WEBTOON is driving across the globe.
‘Marry My Husband’ quickly shot to the top spot after its release in Indonesia and Thailand earlier this year, ranking first in weekly sales in both countries, while ‘Teenage Mercenary’ is attracting a global audience, and ranking No. 1 in weekly sales amongst action genre fans in Thailand.
Local creators discovered by WEBTOON are also receiving a lot of interest as webcomics with cultural affinity are experiencing a rise in popularity. Webcomic series ‘Dedes’ by egestigi, which is based on an Indonesian folktale has topped the platform’s new & trending charts since its release in February. ‘Wanthong rai jai’ (วันทองไร้ใจ) by creator Mu which was inspired by a classic Thai fable, also ranked first in weekly transaction amounts for paid content after just one week of its release—the highest sales of any local webcomic. A TV adaptation of this IP is currently being discussed after an overwhelming response from Thai readers since the series went live.
In addition, WEBTOON’s Monthly Active Users (MAU) in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Taiwan, recently surpassed 13 million. According to the mobile data analysis platform, data.ai (formerly App Annie), WEBTOON ranked first in revenue in all three countries among comic apps on Google Play as of March 16, proving WEBTOON’s successful popularization of webcomic content in these markets.
WEBTOON is maintaining a solid lead in Southeast Asia for its translated versions of famous Korean webcomics, and its discovery of webcomic content from countries within the region which reflect local culture and sensibilities through its open self-publishing platform CANVAS and various content competitions.
“WEBTOON has achieved outstanding results in terms of transaction amounts for paid content and the number of users in Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan,” said Cha Ha-na, Head of Global Webtoon SEA. “We will continue to establish a strong ecosystem to enable the work of more local creators and make WEBTOON a renowned entertainment brand in Southeast Asia.”
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‘Dedes’ by egestigi (left), 'Wanthong rai jai' by Mu