Viki acquires Korean entertainment news and discussion site Soompi

What fun is watching a good TV show if you don’t get the chance to talk about it afterwards? That’s a question that users of Viki, the global TV streaming service with fan-translated subtitles, won’t have to worry about anymore. Today, Viki announced that it has acquired Soompi, the world’s biggest English-language site dedicated to Korean pop culture and discussion.

The deal is valued at “less than $10 million,” according to the companies. And of course, Viki is no stranger to startup acquisitions, having itself been acquired two years ago by Rakuten in a record-breaking US$200 million deal.

Korean soaps are popular all across Asia, so it’s not difficult to see why Soompi would appeal to Viki: the site will give its users more access to information about Korean shows, and more ways to discuss the latest drama in each episode. But it’s worth pointing out that Soompi may also be bringing some new users to Viki’s table; Soompi has doubled its reach over the past couple of years and now boasts more than 7 million monthly users.

Also, while Soompi (which was founded in 1998) has been focused on Korean pop culture information, Viki is a global platform, and it sees Soompi as a base upon which it can expand. “Joining forces with the Soompi team enables Viki to kick-start our news and fan forum offering, starting first with Korean and with plans to expand into other vertical categories,” said Viki CEO Tammy H. Nam.

For now, the Viki and Soompi sites will remain separate, but content and personnel are both being integrated. Soompi founder Susan Kang will stay on as Viki’s head of community and publishing.

See: Razmig Hovaghimian: from failed pizza maker to founder of Viki