Naver named official sponsor of 31st Busan International Film Festival
In short
Naver said it will serve as an official sponsor of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, running through Oct. 15, using its CHZZK streaming platform, Clip short-form service, Naver Map and Naver Pay. CHZZK will exclusively live-stream the opening red carpet and ceremony, and Naver Map will list 49 Busan restaurants recommended by festival staff. The companies gave no financial terms of the sponsorship.
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Naver said it is an official sponsor of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opens Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 15, and will use its services to support both online and on-site viewing, according to the Seoul Economic Daily and Yonhap. The company said it will draw on its streaming platform CHZZK, short-form service Clip, Naver Map and Naver Pay to widen its points of contact with festival audiences. [ 1 , 2 ]
CHZZK will exclusively live-stream the opening ceremony's red carpet and main event on Oct. 6, and will also carry the closing ceremony on Oct. 15, outdoor stage greetings and open talks, the reports said. Yonhap added that CHZZK will exclusively broadcast the red carpet and awards ceremony of the Buil Film Awards on Oct. 7 at Signiel Busan. The Seoul Economic Daily said CHZZK will run “watch together” content in which streamers view the festival with audiences in real time. [ 1 , 2 ]
On Clip, creators will visit Busan to introduce festival venues, screening reviews and city attractions in short-form video, according to both outlets. Naver Map will operate a “BIFF staff-recommended restaurants” tab within a broader food-map promotion, listing 49 Busan restaurants recommended by festival staff; visitors who book through Naver, visit and write a review can earn up to 4,000 won in points, the reports said. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Seoul Economic Daily reported that the official goods shop and market will have “Npay Connect” terminals supporting a face-recognition payment service called “Face Sign payment.” It also said Naver has provided digital payment terminals at events including the Jecheon International Music and Film Festival, the National Sports Festival and the Grand Mint Festival. [ 1 ]
Joo Kun-bum, Naver's entertainment leader, said the company would link its streaming technology and community viewing culture with Clip creators' on-site content and offline payments so users can enjoy the festival “in more three-dimensional ways,” the Seoul Economic Daily reported. Neither document disclosed the financial terms of the sponsorship. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The sponsorship ties a major domestic platform to one of South Korea's largest film events, extending Naver's streaming, short-form and payment services into an offline festival audience. For the festival, the arrangement adds online distribution for ceremonies and outdoor events that were previously largely on-site.
Key facts
- Naver is an official sponsor of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, which opens Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 15. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CHZZK, Naver's streaming platform, will exclusively live-stream the opening ceremony's red carpet and main event. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CHZZK will also carry the closing ceremony, outdoor stage greetings, open talks and other outdoor events live. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Naver Map will run a “BIFF staff-recommended restaurants” tab listing 49 Busan restaurants recommended by festival staff. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Visitors who book through Naver, visit and write a review can earn up to 4,000 won in points, according to the reports. [ 1 , 2 ]
- At the official goods shop and market, Naver will operate “Npay Connect” terminals supporting a face-recognition payment service called “Face Sign payment.” [ 1 ]
- CHZZK will exclusively broadcast the red carpet and awards ceremony of the Buil Film Awards on Oct. 7 at Signiel Busan. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Naver is participating as an official sponsor of the 31st Busan International Film Festival. [ 1 , 2 ]
- CHZZK will exclusively live-stream the opening red carpet and main ceremony, and will also carry the closing ceremony and other outdoor events. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Naver Map will operate a tab of 49 Busan restaurants recommended by festival staff, with up to 4,000 won in Naver Pay points for bookings, visits and reviews. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The financial value or duration of Naver's sponsorship is not stated. Neither document gives sponsorship terms or figures.
- Whether the face-recognition “Face Sign payment” service and the Clip creator content are part of the official sponsorship scope is not spelled out. Only one document mentions these services, and it does not specify their contractual status.
- Attendance figures or expected audience reach for the CHZZK broadcasts are not given. No viewership or audience numbers appear in either document.