Naver's streaming platform Chzzk is trying again to surpass 5 million concurrent users on the back of a World Cup boost. With South Korea set to play South Africa in their final group-stage match of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup on June 25, attention is on whether the momentum from the first two matches can peak, as the result will determine whether South Korea advance to the round of 32.

Even on a weekday morning, 4.8 million... demand for Korea matches concentrates on Chzzk

According to the industry on June 24, Chzzk recorded a peak of 4,825,000 concurrent users in the match against the Czech Republic on June 12, followed by 4,780,000 in the match against Mexico on June 19. The difference between the two matches was only 45,000. Given that the Mexico match began at 10 a.m. on a Friday and overlapped with work and class hours more than the Czech Republic match, which started at 11 a.m., it was a solid figure.

South Korea's matches in this tournament being concentrated on weekday mornings was initially seen as a variable for popularity. The outcome was the opposite. Real-time viewing demand from office workers and students who could not easily be in front of a TV concentrated on Chzzk, which secured exclusive live online broadcasts. With interest in the national team elevated after the win over the Czech Republic, an analysis said the matchup against Mexico, the host and a strong team in Group A, further increased the motivation to log in.

The scale becomes clearer in comparison. Chzzk's previous record peak concurrent viewership was 760,000, set at the LoL World Championship in November last year. The two South Korea matches exceeded that figure by more than six times. The gap is also 17 times compared with the peak concurrent viewership of 283,000 in the Netherlands-Japan match in the same tournament.

953 “watch together” streamers, 210 million clip views... adding a community layer to broadcasts

“Watch together” played a key role in Chzzk going beyond a simple broadcast channel. In this format, streamers watch the match footage together while continuing real-time chat and reactions, bringing viewing habits established in game streaming into sports broadcasts. The cumulative number of streamers who ran “watch together” during the World Cup was tallied at about 953. In the Mexico match, participants included partner streamers Han Dong-sook and Pungwolryang, along with entertainer Lee Kyung-kyu (이경규) and football-focused channels Shoot for Love and E-Star TV.

If “watch together” gathers real-time viewing demand, clips and highlights help keep post-live demand within the platform. Naver is generating and providing AI-based short-form clips in real time during World Cup live broadcasts, and quickly uploading VOD highlights by player and by match after games end so users who miss the live broadcast can still watch key moments. Cumulative views for World Cup-related clip content surpassed 210 million after the Mexico match. In a user participation event for match predictions, 532,821 people took part in the first group-stage round and 344,809 in the second.

Technical stability, membership tie-ins... another attempt at the 5 million mark vs South Africa

The World Cup is also a stage to test Chzzk's technical stability. Naver explained that it maintained a stable viewing environment during the Mexico match even as 4,780,000 peak concurrent users piled in, by distributing server loads. To do that, it expanded CDN capacity compared with normal levels and applied real-time traffic adjustment technology. It also collected and analysed playback conditions in real time, including buffering, traffic sources and streaming quality, and reflected them in operations.

It applied a low-latency mode (LL-HLS) to “watch together” to reduce delays between streamers and viewers and increase immersion in real-time chat. If 5 million people flood in at the same time, the system will be tested again.

This World Cup broadcast is also tied to expanding NaverPlus membership. Users can watch South Korea matches for free in standard definition through Chzzk, while NaverPlus members can use high-definition viewing benefits. The structure draws in a large user base with free viewing and then links demand for high-definition broadcasts to paid benefits.

The South Africa match is Chzzk's final gateway for group-stage popularity. If South Korea win and advance to the round of 32, viewing demand could grow again for each match that continues into the knockout rounds, leaving open the possibility that the World Cup broadcast momentum continues throughout the tournament. However, concurrent users for the South Africa match could vary depending on the early flow of the game, the national team's performance, workplace and school viewing environments, and the scale of “watch together” participation.

An industry official said, “Chzzk's approach in this World Cup of linking watch together, clips and membership benefits into one flow is an attempt to bring sports live content into the platform ecosystem, beyond simply securing broadcast rights.” The official added, “Regardless of the result against South Africa, it has already been confirmed in this tournament that Chzzk has established itself as a viable online broadcast channel for major sports events.”