South Koreans favor TV for World Cup viewing

A significant majority of South Koreans plan to follow the 2026 North, Central American World Cup, with television emerging as the dominant platform for viewership. According to a recent survey by the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO), 68.6% of respondents expressed an intention to watch the tournament, which kicks off on June 12.

When asked about their preferred viewing method, 75.0% of those planning to watch indicated they would tune in via television, encompassing terrestrial and cable channels. This highlights television's enduring appeal for major sporting events. Digital platforms also show considerable interest, with video platforms like YouTube attracting 43.6% of viewers, followed by Over-The-Top (OTT) services such as Coupang Play and TVING at 34.3%, and portal sites like Naver at 17.9%.

The survey also revealed a strong preference for live, real-time broadcasts, with 71.6% of viewers opting for "live viewing." Other popular ways to engage with the games include watching highlights (54.3%), viewing after the match concludes (27.0%), and consuming short-form content (15.4%). In terms of broadcast channels, KBS garnered the highest preference at 62.7%, followed by JTBC at 30.0%. Among commentators, Lee Young-pyo led with 30.4% preference, with Park Ji-sung also being a popular choice at 13.8%.

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Television remains the core viewing medium even for large-scale sports events.