When the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots kick off the 2026 National Football League (NFL) season on September 9 with a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl, millions of Coupang Play customers will be able to watch from more than 5,000 miles away in South Korea.
Coupang provides streaming access to the NFL for all its customers in Korea.
Coupang Play, the U.S. technology company and retailer’s over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, provides customers in Korea with a wide range of American sports and entertainment content, from the NFL and NBA to movies and shows from HBO/Max and Paramount+.
Coupang serves as an important bridge between America and Korea, working with thousands of U.S. companies and brands to drive more than $5 billion in sales and exports of American goods overseas in 2025 alone. The company has also invested billions in technology innovations that benefit both countries, and Coupang Play adds a strong cultural component to the mix.
Coupang’s contributions to sports diplomacy are a foundational component of its partnership with the U.S. State Department. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) Office of Sports Diplomacy recently implemented sports-based exchange programs and is leveraging the Decade of Sport in America as a platform for diplomatic engagement, establishing links with U.S. sports professionals and peers. Coupang and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul launched a new program called American Spaces in Korea, a platform to share American cultural content including sports programming for local students and residents.
“Sharing American sports and entertainment with our customers is another example of how Coupang is serving as a cultural and economic bridge between the U.S. and Korea, bringing the people of our two nations closer together,” said Coupang Chief Global Affairs Officer Rob Porter. “Sports diplomacy is a key focus of the U.S. government to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities through the universal language of sports, and we’re pleased to play a role in advancing that priority.”
Excitement for sports — and connection — grows between U.S. and Korea
U.S. sports are helping to drive growth in consumption of American programming in Korea. Coupang Play’s monthly active user (MAU) metric increased 10% from September to October 2025, pegged to when LAFC (Los Angeles Football Club) soccer matches were first made available to Coupang customers.
In June 2026, Coupang Play aired a broadcast in Korea of a friendly international soccer match between the South Korea national soccer team and El Salvador’s national team at Brigham Young University’s South Field in Provo, Utah. Coupang Corp. interim CEO Harold Rogers attended the game in person and could be seen during the broadcast wearing a South Korea national jersey, cheering from the stands.
Coupang is the primary provider of streaming access to NBA games for Korean audiences.
Coupang also exclusively broadcast the 2026 Coupang Play Series, a series of soccer matches that took place at Seoul World Cup Stadium, including games featuring Manchester City from the UK vs. Team K League from Korea, and Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid from Spain.
Beyond airing soccer matches, Coupang Play recently received rights to stream NBA games in Korea. Basketball has become widely popular in the market, owing in part to the intense interest in Korean basketball stars like Lee Hyun-jung. Lee is actively pursuing an NBA roster spot and participated in mini-camps with the New Orleans Pelicans and Boston Celtics this summer.
Watching NFL games has also evolved from a niche pastime into a dynamic cultural staple among Korean sports fans, with its fast-paced action and explosive athleticism. Coupang Play streams major NFL events such as the Super Bowl and regular season packages. Marquee NFL broadcasts are strong supporters of user acquisition and retention aimed at sports fans in Korea.
Coupang’s innovation brings world-class streaming content to millions
As a U.S.-based Fortune 150 technology and retail company, Coupang has invested billions in advanced technology and innovation across its online shopping, digital entertainment and other services.
The Coupang Play Series is one of the most watched international soccer events in Korea.
That same innovation shows up through Coupang Play’s live sports broadcasting. With initiatives like Coupang Play Picks, the service employs over double the production staff and nearly twice as many cameras as the typical K-League broadcast, eliminated middle-of-the-game commercial breaks, and hosted hour-long interactive preview shows featuring celebrity commentators. These first-in-the-market features enable Coupang Play to deliver immersive, high-quality broadcasts that bring fans closer to the action than ever before.
Whether hosting the legendary Coupang Play Series — which brought European football giants like Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City and Sevilla FC to play in Seoul in front of over 110,000 live spectators and more than 3 million Coupang WOW members streaming on the app — or delivering week-in, week-out international league coverage, Coupang Play is focused on setting the gold standard for live sports streaming in Korea.
The evolution of Coupang Play
Coupang Play, which was originally created as an exclusive perk for Coupang’s WOW retail subscription service in Korea, has rapidly evolved into one of Korea’s most dynamic streaming services. In June 2025, Coupang expanded access even further by introducing a free, ad-supported tier, ensuring that anyone with a Coupang account can enjoy a wide variety of entertainment, news, sports, children’s programs and cultural broadcasts.
Coupang Play also serves as a premier destination for cinematic releases, including critically acclaimed original series like Anna, Family Matters, Newtopia, The Affair Was Just the Beginning and global television partnerships. SNL Korea has become the most popular comedy show in Korea with eight recurring seasons on Coupang Play. Through landmark licensing agreements with Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO/Max, Paramount and Sony Pictures, Coupang Play brings Hollywood blockbusters and prestigious global dramas directly to Korean screens.
Building sports diplomacy in the U.S.
As Coupang increasingly serves as a vital economic and cultural bridge between the United States and Korea, the company is also focused on supporting U.S. sports and culture in America.
In 2025, Coupang announced a multi-year partnership with Monumental Sports and the NHL’s Washington Capitals, sponsoring the team’s home and third jerseys worn for games played at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The partnership also includes Coupang branding at the NBA’s Washington Wizards’ games, which are broadcast in Korea on Coupang Play, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics’s games, highlighting Coupang as an American company that helps share U.S. sports and culture abroad.
“Our partnership with Monumental Sports, and the Capitals, Wizards and Mystics, is a special source of pride for all of us at Coupang,” said Porter. “This relationship is about building connections among Korean and American sports fans and sending a clear message: Coupang is here to drive shared economic growth and powerful cultural touchpoints for the people of both countries.”
