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Viki
Rakuten Viki is the world’s leading streaming platform for Asian content, with over 95 million registered users across more than 190 countries. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with offices in Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul, Viki was founded in 2010 and acquired by Japanese e-commerce conglomerate Rakuten in 2013.
Viki built its identity on a model no other streaming service has replicated at scale: community-powered subtitling. Registered volunteers translate dramas into over 200 languages, creating a system where global fans can watch new Korean content with subtitles within hours of broadcast. That infrastructure turned Viki into the default international home for K-drama fans who do not speak Korean, long before Netflix invested seriously in the category.
The platform holds international streaming rights for a significant portion of SBS, KBS, MBC, and tvN output, making it the primary legal source for international K-drama viewers outside of Netflix and Disney+. Major titles in Viki’s library include Descendants of the Sun, Mr. Queen, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Hospital Playlist.
Viki Originals have become a serious editorial investment. The acclaimed BL series Semantic Error (2022) became one of the most-watched short-form dramas globally that year. In 2025, Viki announced a new wave of originals including Moon River, a historical revenge drama starring Kang Tae-oh and Kim Se-jeong, and Last Summer, an emotional drama headlined by Lee Jae-wook and Choi Sung-eun. The platform also staged its third annual International K-Drama Day in September 2025, offering free streaming and exclusive talent events across five days.
As Korean content continues to expand globally, Viki remains the platform most closely associated with the grassroots fan communities that built the international K-drama audience before the streaming giants arrived.
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What is Rakuten Viki?
Rakuten Viki is a subscription video-on-demand streaming service specializing in Asian dramas and films, including Korean, Chinese, and Japanese content. Owned by Rakuten and headquartered in San Mateo, California, it operates offices in Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul.
Is Viki free or paid?
Viki offers a free tier with ads and a paid Viki Pass subscription that unlocks newer and premium-tier content. Many older titles are available for free; the Viki Pass is required for same-day access to currently airing dramas.
What makes Viki different from other streaming platforms?
Viki has a community-based subtitling system where fan volunteers subtitle content in over 200 languages. This makes it particularly accessible globally and is a key reason the platform has strong loyalty among K-drama fans outside of Asia.
Does content rotate out of Viki?
Content stays on Viki as long as the license is maintained. Unlike Netflix-style rotation, Viki generally keeps licensed shows available indefinitely. Some titles may be removed if licenses lapse, but this is less frequent than on major Western platforms.
When was Viki founded?
Viki was founded in 2010 and acquired by Rakuten in 2013 for approximately $200 million. It has since grown into one of the leading platforms for Korean and pan-Asian drama streaming globally, with a large and active fan subtitling community.
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