Samsung’s free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service, has announced the launch of its first European FAST linear channel dedicated to K-pop in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden and The Netherlands. The launch of the K-POP by CJ ENM channel marks the first instalment of Korean content on Samsung’s European streaming service. Available exclusively for free on Samsung TV Plus, this new linear channel offers music videos, concert footage, and interviews with some of K-pop’s biggest stars.
The channel primarily focuses on artist-specific performance content from CJ ENM’s K-pop dance-specialised channel, STUDIO CHOOM, and Performance 37, along with highlights from the world’s #1 K-pop awards, MAMA, and the annual K-POP fan and artist festival, KCON.
Jennifer Batty, Director of Content Partnerships, Samsung TV Plus and The Art Store offered insights into the phenomenon: “K-Content has rapidly evolved from a niche interest to one of the most popular and fastest-growing genres worldwide. With Samsung’s Korean roots, Samsung TV Plus is uniquely suited to bring an exceptional K-Content experience to a global audience. Our strong partnerships with top Korean producers and distributors, including CJ ENM, NEW ID and KT Alpha, make Samsung TV Plus the ideal platform to reach an ever-growing community of K-Content enthusiasts and introduce new viewers to the genre," stated.
K-POP is the first part of an investment in over 4,000 hours of Korean content that will feature on Samsung TV Plus Europe. In the next few weeks Samsung will begin offering European viewers access to premium titles across a variety of genres such as K-Dramas, K-Crime, K-Thrillers and K-Romance.