Games & Commerce
LCK leaves YouTube, SOOP and Chzzk set for lock-in battle
South Korea’s e-sports streaming market is heading into a new rivalry ahead of the Jan. 14 opening of the 2026 LCK Cup, after YouTube drops out of LCK broadcasts. Riot Games Korea signed exclusive five-year deals through 2030 with Naver’s Chzzk and SOOP, making them the only platforms for Korean-language live streams. Both are rolling out opposing strategies to maximise lock-in through linked content, replay features, AI tools, global league coverage and offline branding.