Naver Corp. launched its closed beta service for video streaming, CHZZK. With this, the company officially joined the game streaming scene in South Korea.
Naver's entrance into game streaming is perfect timing as the US-based interactive live-streaming service Twitch just withdrew from the country. Its exit created a big opening for CHZZK since this is the other option when users switch to services.
Naver to Go After YouTube and AfreecaTV
Naver said on Wednesday, Nov. 6, that it introduced its video streaming service to take over the growing gaming and live streaming market. It added that this move is part of its strategy to bring more people to the platform.
According to The Korea Times, as Twitch suddenly announced its plan to leave the Korean market, it will make Naver's CHZZK the new direct competitor of YouTube and AfreecaTV. With Twitch now out of the picture, Naver will focus on its new rival platforms and will work on building up its presence.
Twitch explained it decided to end its services in the country due to the increased cost of operations. It will officially cease its operations on Feb. 27, 2024.
CHZZK's Streaming Service Beta Run and Launch
Naver will test its game streaming feature for four days by broadcasting a game tournament featuring "League of Legends" and "StarCraft" matches. This will be viewed by 380 company employees who will also participate as players. This test run will end on Dec. 8.
"We are conducting a closed beta test targeting our employees for our game streaming service from Tuesday," the company's spokesperson said in a statement. "Streaming services are an aspect of strengthening community functions. We also view this streaming service as a community feature. To provide a quality streaming service, we have already secured various video-related technologies."
Korea Joongang Daily reported that Naver will release the open beta version of CHZZK on Dec. 19 and scheduled the public launch in 2024. With the new platform's user-friendly interface and tailored game broadcasting for users, it is expected to attract gamers immediately.
"If Naver can attract local Twitch streamers and attain user traffic, Chzzk's market value is expected to go over 1 trillion won," Kim Ha Jeong, a Daol Investment & Securities analyst, said. "The new platform is also expected to spill over to Naver's earnings as the service expands by integrating Naver's other businesses in advertising and commerce, as well as its online communities."
Photo by: Naver Corp Press Room


China Halts Shipments of Nvidia H200 AI Chips, Forcing Suppliers to Pause Production
Elon Musk Says Tesla Cybercab and Optimus Production Will Start Slowly Before Rapid Growth
Baker Hughes Reports 11% Rise in Q4 Adjusted Profit Driven by LNG Demand
Nintendo Stock Jumps as Switch 2 Becomes Best-Selling Console in the U.S. in 2025
Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market
Intel Stock Slides Despite Earnings Beat as Weak Q1 Outlook Raises Concerns
Morgan Stanley Flags High Volatility Ahead for Tesla Stock on Robotaxi and AI Updates
Microsoft Restores Microsoft 365 Services After Widespread Outage
Delta Air Lines Operates Reduced Flight Schedule as Winter Storm Disrupts U.S. Travel
South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports
TikTok Expands AI Age-Detection Technology Across Europe Amid Rising Regulatory Pressure
Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10%
Toyota Recalls 162,000 Tundra Vehicles in U.S. Over Multimedia Display Issue
Samsung Set to Begin HBM4 Production for Nvidia and AMD
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns
Noble Corporation Secures $1.3 Billion in New Contracts, Strengthening Offshore Drilling Backlog 



