Coupang Play, which has grown by securing exclusive broadcasting rights for major European soccer leagues, faced another wave of criticism from soccer fans due to server failures. On the early morning of the 24th, when Lee Kang-in made his first start debut for Atletico Madrid (AT Madrid), the broadcast was down for about 40 minutes. Critics point out that while Coupang Play has aggressively secured sports broadcasting rights and even raised subscription fees, it failed to ensure service stability considering large-scale traffic.
At 0:00 on the 24th (Korean time), Lee Kang-in made his first start for AT Madrid in a match held. He had scored a goal in his debut match on the 20th, and the game was scheduled at midnight, making it convenient for domestic fans to watch. However, shortly after the match began, Coupang Play experienced access issues. The screen froze or playback was interrupted, resulting in about 40 minutes of failed broadcasting. Although Lee Kang-in played for 67 minutes that day, domestic fans missed two-thirds of his playing time.
Coupang Play holds exclusive rights to major soccer broadcasts, including the K-League, England's Premier League (EPL), Spain's La Liga, and Germany's Bundesliga. There is no alternative platform.
This monopoly status led to price hikes. In June, Coupang Play raised the Sports Pass price from 16,600 won to 19,300 won per month, a 16% increase. The fee for Coupang Wow members using the Sports Pass also rose from 9,900 won to 12,400 won, a 25% increase. This is more than double the price of TVING's Basic plan at 9,500 won and higher compared to YouTube Premium (14,900 won).
Even with price increases, consumers find it difficult to leave due to exclusive broadcasting rights. In fact, after Lee Kang-in's transfer, the number of Coupang Play users surged. According to Mobile Index, new app downloads in the first week of August reached 147,000, a 90% increase compared to Jeonju, and weekly active users rose by about 22% to approximately 4.35 million.
Industry insiders criticize Coupang Play for aggressively investing in securing broadcasting rights while neglecting infrastructure investment. An industry source stated, "Since Lee Kang-in's first start was a major event, they should have increased server capacity and prepared contingency plans." They further criticized, "Overseas soccer broadcasts require extra care to prevent delays, yet their response was careless."
Amid this, rumors emerged that CEO Kim Sung-han would run for Han Chuk-gu-hyeop (Chairman), further fueling fans' anger. Soccer fans expressed frustration, saying, "They charge high subscription fees for exclusive content but couldn't even watch important matches due to crashes," and "If they only raise prices while keeping servers outdated, are consumers being taken advantage of?"
Coupang Play has been labeled a so-called "ecosystem disruptor" in the market for submitting bids higher than market rates in major sports broadcasting rights auctions. It is reported that under CEO Kim Sung-han's direct leadership, they secured bidding rights for key matches, including those involving Son Heung-min who transferred to LAFC, by offering prices double the market rate. Concerns arise that Coupang Play may solidify a structure where it raises soccer broadcasting rights prices to maintain its monopoly and then passes these costs on to users.
Coupang Play stated, "Due to temporary traffic spikes, some sports broadcast access errors occurred in certain environments." They added, "We will do our best to provide stable services going forward."
in TECH
