LOS ANGELES & SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WEBTOON will establish a new European corporation, expanding its presence in the region and solidifying its position as #1 in the European digital comics market and world’s largest digital comics platform. The new WEBTOON European corporation will be based in France.
WEBTOON has built a global ecosystem for digital comics, helping local European comic creators reach a new generation of fans around the world. WEBTOON first entered the European market in 2019, establishing French and Spanish WEBTOON services, followed by a German service in 2021. The new WEBTOON corporation will add to the company’s international business hubs in key markets, including its headquarters in North America, and offices in Korea and Japan.
WEBTOON’s EU corporation will allow the company to continue to accelerate the European ecosystem for digital comics creators and fans. The company will also expand its local content programs, adding new creators and series to the platform. WEBTOON plans to add around 200 new series in French and 100 new series in German this year. The new series will include content from local creators, along with translated global hits from some of WEBTOON’s biggest creators in Korea, Japan, and the US.
Other initiatives for local European digital comics creators include a new contest for French creators coming in July 2022. A major 2021 creator contest initiative attracted 1,200 local French applicants. In Germany, WEBTOON will also launch a CANVAS platform--it’s user-generated digital comic platform--for German creators later this year, helping the company discover and support more German digital comic artists. The company will also build out its competitive capabilities, adding new local teams and expanding its work with local publishing partners.
WEBTOON Founder & Global CEO Junkoo Kim said, "The European market for digital comics is poised for incredible growth, as a diverse new generation of comics fans and creators discover WEBTOON. By establishing a European corporation, we’re going to continue expanding our presence and leadership position in Europe, growing the community of passionate WEBTOON creators and fans across the EU.”
WEBTOON has seen continued growth in the past year, recently announcing a record high for users, which exceeded 82 million monthly active users (MAU) in January 2022 -- a growth of 10 million users since January 2021. Daily active users (DAU) of WEBTOON's English, Japanese, Spanish, French, German, and Thai services also reached record highs. The company also disclosed an increase in monthly paid transactions, exceeding 100 billion won in January 2021.
According to data from data.ai (formerly App Annie), WEBTOON’s French and German services each rank first in monthly active users and sales among webtoon/comic apps on Google Play and the Apple App Store as of February this year.
Digital comics from WEBTOON have been growing in popularity in recent years. The company’s high-profile 7FATES: CHAKHO series, in collaboration with BTS, surpassed 15 million views in two days after its release earlier this year, setting a record for views among new releases.
A growing number of streaming and Netflix adaptations--including All of Us are Dead, Hellbound, Love & Leashes, and Sweet Home--have catapulted WEBTOON into the mainstream. Weekly views of All of US are Dead on WEBTOON increased around 80 times after the Netflix series began streaming in January.
About WEBTOON:
WEBTOON® is the world's largest digital comics platform, home to some of the biggest artists, IP, and fandoms in comics. As the global leader and pioneer of the mobile webcomic format, WEBTOON has revolutionized the comics industry for comic fans and creators. Today, a diverse new generation of international comic artists have found a home on WEBTOON, where the company’s storytelling technology allows anyone to become a creator and build a global audience for their stories.
With a massive catalog of incredible digital comics from rising stars on WEBTOON CANVAS platform, and a growing roster of superstar WEBTOON Originals creators, there’s something for every type of comic fan on WEBTOON. With an average of 82+ million monthly active users, and WEBTOON adaptations on Netflix, HBO Max, and other screens around the world, WEBTOON’s passionate fandoms are the new face of pop culture. The company has worked with DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, HYBE, and many more of the world’s biggest entertainment brands.
The WEBTOON app is free to download on Android and iOS devices.
