Korean SVOD Kocowa coming to U.S. to take on Warner Bros.’ DramaFever

Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS are teaming up to launch Kocowa, a new U.S. SVOD specializing in Korean dramas and K-pop.

The service is promising TV series and other content will be available in the U.S. through the service about six hours after their original broadcasts in South Korea. The company said it’s working with a certified translation team that immediately translates the programs into English.

Right now, Kocowa is available on multiple PC, mobile and tablet platforms. Later this year, the video service will also be available to stream on smart TVs. Kocowa offers free ad-based streaming as well as subscription options including daily (for $0.99), monthly (for $6.99) and annual (for $69.99).

"We are thrilled to bring the best of Korean TV to U.S. audiences with Kocowa," said Junsik Kim, CEO of KCP, in a statement. "Korean pop stars, such as PSY and BTS, have captured global audiences, forging interest in discovering more Korean stars and TV programs. Kocowa offers a single destination to discover the best of all types of Korean TV programs, from drama to variety. We not only offer the best of Korean TV, we also offer it very fast, with very high-quality translations. The programs become available in the U.S. within hours after airing in Korea."

In addition to providing access to dramas including “School 2017” and “Into the World Again,” Kocowa is also offering exclusives, like video from the upcoming tour for K-pop artist G-Dragon.

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In the U.S., Kocowa will compete directly with DramaFever, the long-running Korean SVOD that Warner Bros. acquired last year. DramaFever—which is one of many SVODs including Boomerang and FilmStruck operated by Warner Bros.—also provides streaming technology for platforms like AMC’s Shudder.