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-   -   K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia. (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/streaming-talk/645554-k-drama-streaming-service-dramafever-shut-down-warnermedia.html)

DJariya 10-16-18 08:46 PM

K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
https://www.thewrap.com/warner-media...aming-service/


DramaFever, the Korean-centric streaming service acquired by WarnerMedia in 2016, has been shut down, TheWrap has confirmed.

“Today, Warner Bros. Digital Networks will be closing its DramaFever OTT service due to business reasons and in light of the rapidly changing marketplace for K-drama content, a staple of the service’s programming,” the company said in a statement. “Warner Bros. Digital Labs, which encompasses more than two-thirds of the DramaFever workforce, will continue operating, serving as the tech engine behind many of WBDN’s operations.”

WarnerMedia will be laying off about 20 percent of DramaFever’s 110-person staff.

The streamer, which offered an ad-supported product and a $5-per-month subscription service, first launched in 2009 as one of the only services to offer a variety of Korean content. In recent years, both Amazon and Netflix have pushed into the genre, adding competition for the streaming service.

The company, which had 13,000-plus episodes of programming from 12 countries available, attempted to expand its reach by partnering with companies like Twitch and Mammoth Media to diversify its audience. These partnerships, however, will be impacted by the closing of the company, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The closing of DramaFever comes just a week after WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey announced plans to launch a streaming service that will offer programming from AT&T’s portfolio of brands, which include DC Universe, HBO, Filmstruck, and Crunchyroll.


Seems like the theory is that the content on this service will be merged with the upcoming Warner Bros. streaming service coming next year.

My Mom is a subscriber and is bummed by this news.

K-Dramas are a huge market. A little surprised by this news.

Jay G. 10-16-18 09:00 PM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
What's surprising is how sudden it was. With no advance warning, the site just shut down. People paid for annual subscriptions, upfront. The site says they'll be issuing refunds, but they couldn't have had a phase-out period? My wife was in the middle of a season of a show.

The two main alternatives I've found are Viki and Kocowa, although both sites look like they're being hammered now, possibly due to a flood of Dramafever customers looking for a new service.
https://www.viki.com/
https://www.kocowa.com/

Dramafever is/was part of the VRV service. So far it looks like the Dramafever content is still up over on that site:
https://vrv.co/dramafever

VRV is part of WarnerMedia too though, so it could be shuttered as well.

kahuna 10-17-18 01:12 AM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
I just came to the other thread & thought I was seeing things when I seen a post about Korean Dramas. As soon as I read this thread I started getting calls from a bunch of people about DramaFever closing down.

I guess for now that will be the last time I download DramaFever English subtitles. I usually download VIU, Kocowa, Viki, DramaFever, & Netflix subs.

Their are plenty of free streaming sites. But I d/l all 27 K-dramas each week from a file hosting service and that I pay a annual fee.

I use to belong to Aja-Aja which turned into a Members Only Site and you have to pay for a membership fee. Before it was free and I donated money to them.

fujishig 10-17-18 09:11 AM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 

Originally Posted by Jay G. (Post 13427077)
What's surprising is how sudden it was. With no advance warning, the site just shut down. People paid for annual subscriptions, upfront. The site says they'll be issuing refunds, but they couldn't have had a phase-out period? My wife was in the middle of a season of a show.

The two main alternatives I've found are Viki and Kocowa, although both sites look like they're being hammered now, possibly due to a flood of Dramafever customers looking for a new service.
https://www.viki.com/
https://www.kocowa.com/

Dramafever is/was part of the VRV service. So far it looks like the Dramafever content is still up over on that site:
https://vrv.co/dramafever

VRV is part of WarnerMedia too though, so it could be shuttered as well.

Note that viki has a partnership with kocowa and has a tier with all of their content. Plus all their non Kocowa subs are basically fan sourced (though their shows are licensed). The article says that one of the reasons was the increase in cost for licensing with Netflix and others joining the bidding, which combined with the fact that they seem to be laying off the parts of DF unrelated to running the streaming service, seems to indicate to me that they're getting out of it for now, but who knows?

Now if they shutter Crunchyroll or make it more expensive so I have to buy this Warner crap, there will be riots.

Jay G. 10-17-18 10:01 AM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 

Originally Posted by fujishig (Post 13427262)
Note that viki has a partnership with kocowa and has a tier with all of their content...

So Viki seems the way to go for a replacement.

Viki just started offering 30% a 1-year subscription to their standard tier, I'm guessing in response to the influx of Dramafever viewers they're experiencing/expecting.
https://www.viki.com/pass

kahuna 10-17-18 03:25 PM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
Looks like the only K-Drama I'm watching & downloading will be (Devilish Joy Dramax-MBN). That's because the only subs being posted online were from DF. There are 4 episodes left in the drama. So unless some other group starts subbing this drama this will be it for that drama.

I have a friend who is married to a Korean woman. I been giving him k-dramas for him & his parents to watch. Of all the different subs I gave them were least favorite were subs from DramaFever. She said they were good enough to understand the drama but not accurate.

piranesi 10-17-18 05:53 PM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
Vague message from VRV about DramaFever on their twitter.

"We're working with our partners at DramaFever and will share information about the channel as soon as possible. Please keep a close eye out at our social media in the meantime!"

Dramafever is still up on VRV as of now. If it was simply disappearing I wonder why they would bother to hint at an announcement.

Shannon Nutt 10-17-18 06:01 PM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if, a few years after Warners launches their big stream service, they just fold DC Universe into it.

Jay G. 10-18-18 01:36 PM

Re: K-Drama streaming service Dramafever shut down by WarnerMedia.
 
So Viki doesn't have an Xbox One app like Dramafever did, which is a bummer.

For one of my TVs I have a NEO U9-H Android box (not Android TV) that can run Android phone/tablet apps. The Viki app was hidden in the Google Play Store on this device, so I had to download the APK from a website, run it through an AV scanner, then sideload the app. Now that it's installed, it runs fine.


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