{{Short description|South Korean tech company}} {{Infobox company | name = SOOP Co., Ltd. | logo = | type = Public ({{kosdaq|067160}})(2011-present) | foundation = 2011 | predecessors = Nowcom | location = Gyeonggi Province, South Korea | key_people = | industry = Content delivery network, video games, Media industry | products = SOOP Live, TalesRunner, O2Jam, ClubBox, Nownuri | revenue = | operating_income = | slogan = | net_income = | owner = Kevin Seo: 25.33% <br /> JPMorgan Chase: 8.49% <br /> Swedbank: 6.81% <br /> KR Gov.: 5.40% <br /> Jung Chan-yong: 0.38% | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|https://corp.sooplive.co.kr/|sooplive.co.kr}}(Corporate website) | footnotes = }} '''SOOP Co., Ltd.''' (formerly known as AfreecaTV Co., Ltd) is a South Korean IT and media company established in 2011 following the corporate split of Nowcom. The restructuring created two entities, including AfreecaTV Co., Ltd. and ZettaMedia.
The company is best known for operating the live streaming platform SOOP, formerly known as AfreecaTV. In 2024, AfreecaTV Co., Ltd. was rebranded as SOOP Co., Ltd. as part of its global expansion strategy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-04-20 |title=AfreecaTV to change its stock name from ''AfreecaTV'' to ''SOOP'' on March 23rd |url=https://www.mk.co.kr/en/it/10997245 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240516000839/https://www.mk.co.kr/en/it/10997245 |archive-date=2024-05-16 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Maeil Business Newspaper |language=en}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=The English version of this website uses automatic machine translation; see WP:KO/RS|date=November 2024}}
== Services == * SOOP: Online TV with P2P video streaming service. Launched as AfreecaTV in 2005, users can upload their own videos as well as live video streams. Since 2024, it is available in two distinct versions for Korea and Global users.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2832563|title=Online broadcasters share their passion with viewers|accessdate=22 September 2009|date=24 October 2006|publisher=Korea JoongAng Daily|author=Limb Jae-un}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-15 |title=Why is AfreecaTV outperforming Naver, Kakao? |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/06/133_366896.html |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=The Korea Times |language=en}}</ref> * TalesRunner: Racing video game * O2Jam: Music video game * ClubBox: Web storage service for any internet community * Nownuri: Classic VT BBS * NOWCDN: CDN service for massive file distribution such as game clients
== Nowcom split == {{Infobox company | name = Nowcom | logo = | type = Public ({{kosdaq|026330}})<br /> (until 2011) | foundation = 1994 | defunct = 2011 | fate = Divided into AfreecaTV Co., Ltd. and ZettaMedia | location = Gyeonggi Province, South Korea | key_people = ex-CEO Yong-sik Moon<ref name="nowcom"> {{cite press release |url= http://www.koreaherald.com/business/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20101031000262 |publisher= The Korea Herald |title= Shinsegae, Nowcom heads face off on Twitter |date= 2010-10-31 |accessdate= 2011-01-14 }}</ref> | industry = Content delivery network, video games, Media industry | products = Afreeca, TalesRunner, O2Jam, ClubBox, Nownuri | revenue = | operating_income = | slogan = | net_income = | num_employees = 300 | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = | footnotes = }}
'''Nowcom''' was a South Korean IT Company founded in 1994. The first service of Nowcom in South Korea was ''Nownuri'', a VT-based online BBS started in 1994, and currently they operate ''Afreeca'', SOOP Live ''TalesRunner'', ''O2Jam'' and ''ClubBox'' and ''Nownuri''. Nowcom was merged by '''Wins Technet''', a listed IT company, at January 2008 and listed on KOSDAQ with its original name though and worked together for 3 years, but finally they have been separated again to two companies as they were.
In July 2011, Nowcom announced that its assets would be split into one publicly traded company and the other privately held company. Nowcom's assets was split into one publicly traded company, one oriented towards webcasting and online game development, and the other privately held company towards contents, media, and web storage. The split formally took place in July 2011; where the present Nowcom was renamed AfreecaTV Co., Ltd. and consists primarily of ''Afreeca'', ''TalesRunner'', and ''O2Jam'', while a new ZettaMedia was formed to take on ''Nownuri'', PDBox, and ''ClubBox''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ddaily.co.kr/news/news_view.php?uid=77943 |title=Nowcom Will Create "ZettaMedia" for Web Storage Business|publisher=Digital Daily|date=2011-05-13 |accessdate=2013-10-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zettamedia.co.kr/app/noticeView.php?b_no=5&pageNo=1 |script-title=ko:제타미디어 |website=www.zettamedia.co.kr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020171635/http://www.zettamedia.co.kr/app/noticeView.php?b_no=5&pageNo=1 |archive-date=2013-10-20}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20101231153000/http://nowcom.co.kr/ Nowcom Website]
{{Portal|Companies|South Korea}}
Category:Software companies of South Korea Category:Entertainment companies of South Korea Category:Defunct video game companies of South Korea Category:Video game publishers Category:Video game development companies Category:Entertainment companies established in 1994 Category:Video game companies established in 1994 Category:South Korean companies established in 1994
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