• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

What Disney Can Learn From a K-Pop App

Weverse, a social/streaming hybrid from South Korea that provides exclusive content to BTS superfans, could offer a roadmap for Hollywood to succeed in a future dominated by YouTube and infinite slop.

Jungkook BTS k-pop fans
Weverse’s approach could offer critical lessons for a streaming industry struggling with high churn: As Hollywood faces increasing pressure from YouTube and the looming tide of A.I. slop, media executives may want to reevaluate their superfan playbooks. Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Julia Alexander
February 17, 2026

Join Puck to listen to this article

Hybe, the South Korean entertainment conglomerate, is best known for its roster of K-pop super-acts: BTS, Seventeen, Katseye, etcetera. But it’s equally notable for innovations. In 2019, Hybe’s then co-C.E.O., Lenzo Yoon, and Wooseok Seo launched Weverse, a novel social/streaming hybrid platform designed to leverage the parasocial obsessions of their audiences. Today, the bet is simple: Customers pay $24 to $48 a year for access to exclusive live events, merch, and album release parties. For Weverse’s most engaged users, however, the main draw has become the community itself.