SOOP

{{About|the streaming service||Soop (disambiguation){{!}}Soop}}

{{Infobox website

| name = SOOP

| logo =

| location = South Korea

| owner = {{Unbulleted list|Su Gil Seo (CEO)}}

| parent = SOOP Co., Ltd. (2011–)
Nowcom (2005–2011)

| area_served = Worldwide

| url = South Korea: {{URL|https://www.sooplive.co.kr/}}
International: {{URL|https://www.sooplive.com/}}

| website_type = Video hosting service, Video streaming service

| language = Korean, English

| registration = Available

| launch_date = {{Start date and age|2005|5|11}}

| current_status = Active

}}

SOOP, previously known as AfreecaTV ({{langx|ko|아프리카TV}}, short for "Any FREE broadCAsting") ({{kse|067160}}), is a video live-streaming service. It is owned and operated by Soop Co., Ltd. in South Korea, which was rebranded from Nowcom's AfreecaTV Co., Ltd, itself split with ZettaMedia in 2011.{{cite web|date=2011-05-13|title=Nowcom Will Create "ZettaMedia" for Web Storage Business|url=http://www.ddaily.co.kr/news/news_view.php?uid=77943|access-date=2013-10-19|publisher=Digital Daily|language=ko}}

Launched in 2005, the platform was listed 4th in the "Asia's 200 Best Under A Billion" list by Forbes in July 2019.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/asia200/list/#tab:overall |title=Asia's 200 Best Under A Billion|work=Forbes|access-date=2019-07-11}} Initially focused on Korean viewers, it began offering an English-language interface for international users in 2012. In 2024, with its parent company's rebrand, AFTV was relaunched as SOOP, offering two distinct services for Korea and Global users.

History

SOOP initially started as a W beta service on May 11, 2005, and was officially named "AFREECA” on March 9, 2006. The site mainly re-transmits TV channels but also allows users to upload their own videos and shows. Functions such as broadcasting, viewing, channel listing, live chatting, and discussion boards are provided. Users are required to install 'Afreeca Player' for grid delivery. Independent broadcasters called broadcasting jockeys (BJs) deliver live broadcasts to viewers, who can add them to their list of favorite channels using an Afreeca Player tool. Some channels have tens of thousands of viewers at any given time. Paid services such as quick views or channel relays allow BJs additional sources of revenue.

The platform ranges anywhere from TV broadcasts, live video game broadcasts, taxi driver monitoring, artist performances,{{cite web|url=http://enewsworld.mnet.com/enews/contents.asp?idx=552|title=Sung Yuri Appears on Afreeca TV|access-date=2012-07-05|date=2011-09-25|publisher=CJ E&M enewsWorld|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113193206/http://mwave.interest.me/enewsworld/en/article/552/sung-yuri-appears-on-afreeca-tv|archive-date=2015-01-13|url-status=dead}} and personal daily-life video blogs and shows for actresses and professional broadcasters.

The head of AfreecaTV's parent company Nowcom, Mun Yong-sik, was arrested in 2008 for illegally distributing copyrighted films. Some alleged the arrest was politically motivated due to Afreeca being used by protesters to coordinate.{{cite web|author=Jung Hyo-sik, Lee Min-a|date=18 June 2008|title=Afreeca head accused of pirating|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2891255|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627011832/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2891255|archive-date=June 27, 2008|access-date=22 September 2009|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily}}

On September 27, 2012, AfreecaTV English was released on the Google Play store.{{cite web|title=AfreecaTV - Android Apps on Google Play|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=kr.co.nowcom.mobile.afreeca&hl=en|access-date=March 16, 2018|website=Google Play}}

One example of expansion of Afreeca's role is the hosting of a live talk session with Mayor Park of Seoul, broadcast live online and via mobile on AfreecaTV.{{cite web|url=http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20120425001057&cpv=0 |title=Seoul City meetings open to public |publisher=The Korea Herald |date=2012-04-25 |access-date=2012-07-05}} He used the platform as a way to conduct a community scanning forum to collect public opinions and allow bloggers with various areas of expertise to participate in the dialogue. The bloggers were able to address the problems facing Seoul and propose solutions in their areas of expertise, while also exchanging ideas with Mayor Park in an in-depth discussion on the administration of the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Depending on rising of power of AfreecaTV, many Idol Groups participate in AfreecaTV for their fans, for example, Nine Muses.{{Cite news|last=박|first=수정|date=2015-12-04|title=나인뮤지스, 아프리카TV에서 14일간 특별한 데이트..털털 매력 생중계|language=ko|url=http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/790541|access-date=2015-12-05|archive-date=2015-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208133520/http://tenasia.hankyung.com/archives/790541|url-status=dead}}

In 2024, AfreecaTV was relaunched as SOOP by splitting the platform into two distinct versions: Korea and Global. The Global version was launched as a separate platform early in the year, with user interface and design different from AfreecaTV, and secures rights deals with major sporting events such as the international (outside korea) rights of the Korea Baseball Organization, as well as becoming the exclusive streaming provider of Valorant Challengers SEA (which SOOP runs as the tournament's official organizer). On October 15, months after non-Korean languages were removed from the platform following the Global version's launch, AfreecaTV itself changed its name to SOOP, becoming the Korea version of the service.{{cite web |url=https://www.kedglobal.com/tech,-media-telecom/newsView/ked202410150013/|title=AfreecaTV changes its name to ‘SOOP’|date=2024|website=THE KOREA ECONOMIC DAILY}}{{cite web|url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240613007200315|title=KBO games to be streamed live overseas|date=13 June 2024|access-date=9 February 2025|website=Yonhap News Agency}}

Controversy

There have been many social problems with Afreeca TV such as offers for sexual favors{{cite news|last1=choi|first1=young kyung|title=여자친구 성상납 논란에 휩싸인 아프리카TV 인기BJ|language=ko|url=http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0009930963&code=61121111&cp=nv|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404065253/http://news.kmib.co.kr/article/view.asp?arcid=0009930963&code=61121111&cp=nv|archive-date=2016-04-04}} and abasement of disabled individuals.{{cite news|last1=lee|first1=seul ki|title=다시 고개든 '장애인 비하' 1인 미디어|language=ko|url=http://www.ablenews.co.kr/News/NewsContent.aspx?CategoryCode=0013&NewsCode=001320160106145502623946|access-date=2016-01-06}} Many broadcasters were involved in these incidents, and they were punished by managers of Afreeca TV by suspension of their IDs. Due to such problems, mass media in South Korea have shown concern about the effects of personal broadcasting platforms.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/media/835746.html|title=아프리카TV '별풍선' 한도, 하루 100만원으로 제한된다|date=2018-03-12|access-date=2018-04-07|language=ko}}

A claim was made that audience overloading has caused overpayment of fees for Internet broadcasting. In light of this, Korea's Clean Internet Broadcasting Council came to an agreement with Afreeca TV to reduce the payment maximum to less than 1 million won (a little less than US$900) per day by June 2008.

Esports

Afreeca picked up the SBENU StarCraft II team on January 23, 2016 and participated in Proleague. On November 21, 2016, it was announced that the team was disbanding its StarCraft II division, though it kept involvement in Starcraft up.{{Cite web|url=https://tl.net/forum/starcraft-2/516536-afreeca-sc2-team-disbands|title = Afreeca SC2 team disbands}}{{Cite news|date=2016-01-23|title=[취재] 이선종 감독 "아프리카 프릭스로 새출발 하게 되어 정말 기쁘다"|language=ko|url=http://sports.news.naver.com/esports/news/read.nhn?oid=442&aid=0000029993|access-date=2016-01-26}} They currently sponsor a professional League of Legends team, DN Freecs (formerly Afreeca Freecs and Kwangdong Freecs).{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/24165109/league-champions-korea-week-5-day-7-recap|title=Kingzone topples MVP, Gen.G shines against Afreeca|first=Noah|last=Waltzer|date=22 July 2018|access-date=25 July 2018|work=ESPN.com}}{{cite news |last1=Xu |first1=Davide |title=Kwangdong Freecs rebrands to DN Freecs |url=https://www.esports.net/news/lol/kwangdong-freecs-rebrands-to-dn-freecs/ |access-date=7 January 2025 |work=Esports.net |date=27 December 2024}} The Starcraft 2 team was reformed at the start of 2020.{{cite tweet|number=1213233576944078848|user=afreecaTV_gl|title=Welcome to the Afreeca Freecs!...|date=3 January 2020}}

Afreeca also announced on January 23, 2016 that they would be sponsoring two seasons of Brood War tournaments.{{Cite news|url =http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/brood-war/502705-afreeca-to-sponsor-2-bw-tournaments-in-2016|title = Afreeca to sponsor 2 BW Tournaments in 2016|date = 2016-01-23|access-date = 2016-01-26}} The tournament has proved popular and is now in its 17th season as of December 2024.{{cite web|title=afreeca starcraft league's official website|url=http://afreecatv.com/afstar1}}