[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Seoul, October 8 – Coupang Play’s monthly active users (MAU) fell in September despite streaming every match of the 2025–2026 English Premier League (EPL) season for the first time, raising questions about whether sports broadcasting alone can continue to drive user growth.
According to data from Mobile Index by IGAWorks, Coupang Play recorded 7.19 million MAUs in September, down 1.4% from 7.29 million in August. Although that represents a 5.8% increase year-on-year, the results fell short of expectations given the service’s addition of live broadcasts for Son Heung-min’s new club, LAFC, starting September 14.
Longer Watch Time, But Limited User Growth
Average viewing time per user rose to 141.2 minutes, up more than 15 minutes from 124.9 minutes in August and the highest in the past six months. However, it remained below the 168.4 minutes logged a year earlier.
Daily active user (DAU) trends showed that Coupang Play exceeded 1.1 million users only twice in September — on September 14 and September 28, when both Son’s LAFC match and an EPL game aired on the same day. On regular EPL-only match days, DAUs hovered around one million, suggesting that roughly 100,000 additional viewers tuned in specifically for Son’s games.
$300 Million EPL Investment Under Scrutiny
Coupang Play reportedly invested ₩4.2 trillion (approximately $3 billion) over six years to secure exclusive EPL broadcasting rights. The company has denied that figure but declined to disclose the actual contract value, fueling debate over the cost-effectiveness of its sports rights strategy.
With Son Heung-min now playing for Major League Soccer’s LAFC, Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) remains the only Korean player with a starting role in the EPL — potentially reducing domestic viewer interest in the league.
To offset heavy sports-rights spending, Coupang Play has introduced a paid “Sports Pass”. While Coupang Wow members (₩7,890/month) pay an additional ₩9,900 to access sports content, non-members must pay ₩16,600 monthly. Analysts suggest the new pricing model could help improve profitability despite slowing user growth.
Industry-Wide Decline
Coupang Play’s decline was not unique. Other major OTT platforms — including Netflix, Tving, Wavve, Disney+, and Watcha — also saw month-over-month MAU declines in September. However, Coupang Play stands out as the only service to have made massive recent investments in sports broadcasting, making its results closely watched by industry observers.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
