Naver's Chijijik streams World Cup match to record 4.82 million viewers

South Korea's digital media landscape is evolving with the rise of 'digital live viewing,' targeting younger generations during major sporting events. Naver's streaming platform, 'Chijijik,' has set a new benchmark by attracting 4.82 million concurrent viewers for the South Korea vs. Czech Republic match on June 12, significantly surpassing its previous record of 760,000 viewers during the 2025 League of Legends World Championship.

Naver is broadcasting all matches of the 2026 North, Central American World Cup, the largest in history with 104 games across 48 countries, exclusively on Chijijik. The platform differentiates itself from traditional broadcasters through 'community-based viewing.' This involves popular creators and streamers, such as Han Dong-sook and Wolf, hosting 'watch-together' broadcasts where they interact with viewers in real-time. For instance, Han Dong-sook's co-viewing stream for the Korea-Czech match drew approximately 360,000 viewers, demonstrating the appeal of this interactive format.

“

The massive traffic of nearly 5 million people was handled with effective server load balancing, maintaining a stable viewing environment for the World Cup.

Leveraging artificial intelligence, Chijijik provides 'AI short-form clips' that offer real-time edits of key match highlights, catering to viewers who prefer concise content. Post-match, the platform swiftly releases VOD highlights for individual players and games, aiming to capture audiences who missed the live broadcast. This strategy aims to enhance engagement and viewership across different segments of the audience.

Furthermore, Naver is merging sports viewing with gaming through partnerships like the one with Nexon's 'FC Online.' Launched on June 12, this integration allows users to play mini-games within the Chijijik platform while watching World Cup broadcasts. This synergy aims to attract football fans to gaming and vice versa, fostering a mutually beneficial ecosystem. Naver reported stable server performance despite the massive traffic, attributing the success to its community-centric approach and the growing trend of interactive sports content.

“

Chijijik's 'community-based viewing culture,' where popular streamers and fans interact in real-time, appears to be expanding beyond esports to overall sports content.