Kakao Entertainment (co-CEOs Kwon Ki-soo and Jang Yoon-jung) has pre-opened its global fan platform 'Berriz', challenging HYBE's 'Weverse'.
On the 6th, Kakao Entertainment announced the launch of a customized fan community for artist Jung Seung-hwan and his fandom 'US'. Jung Seung-hwan will engage in closer and more intimate 'direct communication' with fans through the official fan community. The space allows for free exchanges of messages, as well as live streaming and various content, providing access to 'everything about Jung Seung-hwan'. Notably, with translation support in 18 languages, including Korean and English, it is expected to be a space where fans from around the world can communicate freely.
Jung Seung-hwan began recruiting members for the official fan club 'US' through Melon Ticket starting from the 5th. The official fan community set up on Berriz is available to anyone who likes Jung Seung-hwan, and there are plans to open services exclusively for official fan club members in the future.
Kakao Entertainment stated, "The global fan platform 'Berriz' aims to be a fan-friendly modular platform that selectively implements services optimized for IP according to the diverse needs of fans, creating a playground where fans around the world can communicate freely and experience new joys."
Currently, the fandom platform business includes 'Weverse', a fan community platform developed by Weverse Company, a subsidiary of HYBE, and 'DearU Bubble', operated by DearU, an SM Entertainment affiliate. 'Weverse' has surpassed an average monthly visitor count of 10 million in 2023. Its revenue skyrocketed from 78.2 billion KRW in its first year of launch in 2019 to 337.9 billion KRW in 2023.
Kakao Entertainment plans to officially launch at the end of March, starting with the opening of Jung Seung-hwan's community, and will gradually introduce community services specialized for various IPs. Synergies with the fan communication platform 'Bubble', operated by DearU, are also anticipated.
Kakao Entertainment oversees various K-pop labels, including SM, Starship, Idam, Antenna, and IST, as well as various actor agencies, drama production companies, and film production companies. 'Berriz' is reported to aim to leverage these advantages of Kakao Entertainment to create a fan platform that encompasses a wide range of 'K-Culture', extending beyond K-pop to include dramas, films, webtoons, and more.
