CJ OliveNetworks to expand fandom platform services

CJ OliveNetworks Co., a South Korean digital software developer, has joined hands with bemyfriends, a startup specializing in the global K-pop fandom business, to offer a broad range of fandom services, CJ said on Wednesday.

The startup operates a platform, dubbed “b.stage,” where individual creators and brand owners build and run tailored fandom communities for two-way communication with their fans.

On the online space, they offer for-profit services, including e-commerce and product delivery, as well as payment and settlement, for both local and foreign subscribers.

Under their partnership agreement signed on Wednesday, their cooperation will encompass the development of relevant technologies and solutions, alongside joint marketing.

bemyfriends is South Korea’s first startup to launch online fandom platforms, which have been gaining ground along with the growing popularity of Korean content such as movies, TV series and music.

CJ OliveNetworks will utilize its live streaming platforms to expand the startup’s fandom services, enabling individual creators and intellectual property owners to hold online meetings and performances.

Their business cooperation will also extend to non-fungible token artworks, artificial intelligence-based services and other digital solutions.

CJ Group, the parent of CJ OliveNeworks, is the second-largest shareholder of bemyfriends after it invested 22.4 billion won ($17 million) in the venture in May. 

Write to Sung-Soo Bae at baebae@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article