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Viki Partners With KOCOWA to Offer New Subscription Option Called Viki Pass Plus

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Kay

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Legend of the Blue Sea Korean Drama - Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun

More developments with the new Korean drama streaming platform KOCOWA! It has now been announced that Viki has partnered with KOCOWA to offer a new subscription option called Viki Pass Plus. This new option grants access to KOCOWA exclusive content in the Americas.

Viki now has two subscription levels:

Viki Pass Standard: $4.99 month or $49.99 year
Viki Pass Plus: $9.99 month or $99.99 year (there’s a launch promo of $89.99 for the year good through 9/17/17)

Of course, this new development is a bit of a mixed blessing that has also been met with a mixed reception among fans. First, fans in other countries outside of the Americas still won’t have access to these KOCOWA exclusive dramas through KOCOWA or Viki even with the Viki Pass Plus at this point.

Second, that is a substantial price increase for access to content that we would have had access to with the standard Viki Pass just a month ago. But with the bulk of KBS, SBS, and MBC dramas suddenly exclusively on KOCOWA, Viki most certainly wanted to get them back. And it looks like higher prices are the price we will have pay to get them.

At this point, KOCOWA is still running it’s own platform with its own subscription options that include a standard monthly plan for $5.99 and a yearly discounted plan for $69.99. So it does look like it would be slightly cheaper to get the Viki Pass Plus rather than Viki Pass Standard and KOCOWA separately.

Of course, you can always decide if one platform over the other better fits your needs. The Viki Pass Plus content is a bit limited right now, but it will likely increase as new dramas continue to be released. Either way, it looks like you will need either Viki Pass Plus or KOCOWA to have access to most dramas from the big three networks. As to which one works best for you will probably depend on what other content you enjoy such as cable kdramas, Chinese dramas, Taiwanese dramas, etc.

So I’m less than thrilled with the new developments, but I guess I will have to adapt. It’s an ever changing world for kdrama fans, so that’s about all we can do.

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42 responses to “Viki Partners With KOCOWA to Offer New Subscription Option Called Viki Pass Plus”

  1. raistlin0903 Avatar
    raistlin0903

    Wooohooo: new content. Awesome 😃😃😃 Oh no wait not for my country 😢 Seriously though…it’s a question of whether or not it’s content that is worth it. I would not mind paying more if the service is worth it. But I do feel a bit left out. It’s a real shame that so many great shows are not available to watch here. It does make it tempting to start downloading stuff, but I really don’t want to go down that path.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      Not for a lot of countries apparently 😦 And I know what you mean. Although I really don’t like a price increase, the content is worth it to me, so I’ll have to adjust. But there are so many fans internationally who now don’t have access to a legal source of many of these dramas. It’s really disappointing. I just hope both KOCOWA and Viki are serious about working to change that and eventually bring these dramas to more countries.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
      1. raistlin0903 Avatar
        raistlin0903

        So true, I haven’t started using illegal download sources, as I love the industry to much for that. But lately it is becoming very tempting, especially since I am missing out on some great shows that I might never see. But who knows, things can certainly change for the better 😊

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. Kay Avatar
          Kay

          I think a lot of people in countries outside of the Americas will end up doing that because they simply won’t have access to the dramas any other way. But I really don’t see a reason why KOCOWA and then by extension Viki won’t eventually expand their exclusive offerings to other countries. Hopefully, it’s just something that will take some time to get worked out.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
  2. shamrockmom3 Avatar
    shamrockmom3

    I think I’d prefer to cough up for the Viki/Kocowa pass. If it means Viki’s higher quality subs and the ability to access the dual subbed Kdramas, then I’d be ok with the price increase….not thrilled, of course, but not nearly as cranky about it. When I looked at the Viki site today, the Viki/Kocowa yearly fee was $7.50/month or $89.99/year, at least for a while. Now it looks like Viki is the Big Kahuna in town with all the Cdrama and TW drama content, and now partnering with Kocowa.

    P.S. Raistlin, have you considered something like a VPN to access Viki/DF from where you live?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      Same here. It will be cheaper, plus we can already watch on the Roku which is a big deal for me. And it looks like the we can get the discounted price through Sept. 17 for the first year. They probably figured they should try to take the sting out of the price increase a bit, lol. And yes, Viki seems to be the Big Kahuna right now! DramaFever looks like they will still get at least a handful of dramas from the big three, but I think they better work hard at cornering the cable market if they want to stay in the game.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. libraryofthoughts Avatar
    libraryofthoughts

    Honestly, I am gonna stick with the standard. Dramafever has been good on adding dramas that were on Viki first. I mean I love Viki because of the interaction, but that is getting overwhelming. Maybe in the future, if Dramafever doesn’t add it, then I might. Plus, I am still waiting for them (Viki) to add Thai dramas again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      Yeah, waiting a few months or so will probably give us all a better idea of what to expect concerning how many dramas DF will continue to get from the big 3. I tend to watch most dramas soon after they air, so it looks like I will be needing to upgrade 😛

      Like

      Reply
  4. jane Sullivan Avatar
    jane Sullivan

    Thanks for the explanation of kdrama viewing changes. I have been watching on Dramafever and noticed that several dramas I had been looking forward to were not available. I was really disappointed but ended up watching Let’s Eat 2 which is a joy! However, I just signed up for Viki and am happily watching Chicago Typewriter. Right now I’m using the basic plan but will probably end up adding Kocowa. I hate to say it, but my days with DF are probably numbered.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      You’re welcome 🙂 Yeah, both DramaFever and Viki had been getting fewer dramas over the last few months which was really disappointing. I’ll be signing up for the plus since most of the network dramas will only be available through it. But there is still a lot of stuff on the standard plan especially for people who watch lots of older dramas or Chinese and Taiwanese dramas. I think a few new dramas will eventually be available on standard too. Definitely a lot of changes though!

      Like

      Reply
  5. KOCOWA: What You Need to Know About the New Korean Drama Streaming Site | Kdrama Kisses Avatar
    KOCOWA: What You Need to Know About the New Korean Drama Streaming Site | Kdrama Kisses

    […] UPDATE 8/14/17: Viki has now launched a new subscription option called Viki Pass Plus that includes access to KOCOWA content. More details can be found here. […]

    Like

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  6. lesle Avatar
    lesle

    Kay, do you or anyone know at what definition these offerings are and will be?
    SD 360 or 480; or HD 720 or 1080?
    Thank you.
    —
    “Everyone remembers the first time they were kissed by a kdrama!
    Actually, it was a kmovie: Duelist.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duelist_(2005_film)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn8XJuUjxYQ @360

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      Hmm, you know, I’m not sure. I would assume the Kocowa content on Viki will be available at the same definition is has always been. With Viki Pass it is HD 720.

      Like

      Reply
  7. welcometodramaworld Avatar
    welcometodramaworld

    Thank you for explaining this so well. 🙂 I just recently got the standard Viki pass and will stick with that for now. ‘Wait and see’ shall be my approach before forming an opinion on this new development.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      I agree that the wait and see approach is probably best right now as so much has been happening in a fairly short amount of time 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  8. okaeriwasabi Avatar
    okaeriwasabi

    Thanks for updating with changes. I love Viki and I think it’s great for those of us who are already Viki members that they decided to partner with Kokowa.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      You’re welcome 🙂 It’ll definitely be cheaper to go with the Viki Pass Plus, and we’ll be able to watch on the Roku which isn’t available with just Kocowa.

      Like

      Reply
  9. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    Does anyone know for sure when VIki’s discount for VIki Plus Pass will terminate? I signed up for 2 free months of Kocowa (they really need to get their act together in so many ways–it’s a hassle to see the subs if you even move slightly!), which isn’t over for 6 weeks or more, but if Sept 17th is really the end of Viki’s offer, I need to resubscribe to Viki then. Anyone have a link or info to clarify?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      The Viki Pass Plus discount will end on Sept. 17.

      Here’s a link to their blog post about it (it states under the section Special Offer about halfway through): https://blog.viki.com/introducing-viki-pass-plus-new-subscription-plan-offering-hundreds-of-additional-hours-of-premium-c3963d76609

      So you will need to go ahead and resubscribe by then if you want to receive the discount for the first year 🙂

      Like

      Reply
      1. Debra Avatar
        Debra

        Thank you, Kay! I guess I know what I will be trying to save for so I can resubscribe on the 17th!
        I guess I will have a double subscription to Kocowa for a while. I am assuming content is the same for Kocowa whether you subscribe through Viki or through Kocowa directly-or there would be a lot of complaints at Viki!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. Kay Avatar
          Kay

          You’re welcome 🙂 Yeah, I was waiting to upgrade from Standard to the Plus. I still had like 5 months before my renewal, but I needed to go ahead and upgrade. Even with the discount and credit for my unused Standard it still cost a fair amount 😛

          So far it looks like most of the shows carried over to Viki. The newer shows will have different subs than Kocowa though since Viki will continue with the fan subs.

          Like

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          1. Debra Avatar
            Debra

            Oh, that’s interesting! I thought we would just be “transported” over to Kocowa’s site. I DO hope there is no other difference in content. The only thing I like about Kocowa’s own site is how FAST they sub- SO much faster than Viki or any other site where you sometimes have to wait a day (or two, depending on the drama). Their site does offer viewing of a few dramas the same day they sub them and only that day before you get locked out. Viki subs are much better overall though and the best of them offer interesting information (historical, idioms, etc) that isn’t offered on Kocowa. Yes, this is going to cost a pretty penny, as a result of the “greed” of the major stations, but if i do it in one full swoop I will forget about it until the following year. Unfortunately that is also the time of year a couple of my credit card annual fees are also due!

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply
            1. Kay Avatar
              Kay

              There’s a separate Kocowa tab on the Viki page. You can go ahead and go search through. Not all of the Kocowa shows they have are listed on the page though. If you wanted to look for a specific Kocowa title you would have to search for it on Viki.

              I think the fast subs is really the only thing Kocowa has as a big advantage over Viki. They really are super fast. I think the popular newer shows are getting subbed at about the same rate on Viki (a day or two) but the unpopular ones are even slower now (because Kocowa is only available to the Americas, Viki lost a lot of English subbers from other countries who now don’t have access). I also like the Viki subs way better than any other site though. But if you want fast subs, it’s definitely something to consider.

              That’s the way to do it…just do it and don’t think about it for a year, lol. But I understand. Now that I upgraded Viki, it will now come due at the same time as DramaFever for me 😛

              Like

              Reply
              1. Debra Avatar
                Debra

                Yes, the fast sub is a benefit but not enough of one for me. I don’t always watch shows “live” though sometimes I do. I hope DF continues with their family dramas- I get in a mood for those every once in awhile, but I usually tend to wait until a LOT of episodes are out. Good luck to you and to everyone! At least this page is here if there are some kinks and we have a question. Kocowa CS is better than Viki, who I’ve pretty much given up on in terms of customer service. It takes me a year just to find the place where you write them!

                Liked by 1 person

                Reply
                1. Kay Avatar
                  Kay

                  I usually let some episodes build up too which is why I don’t mind having to wait a bit with Viki. But there are some dramas that are way behind (like Distorted). And yeah, Viki has the most difficult customer service of the bunch. Last time I needed help it was four months before they responded to my help email 😛

                  Like

  10. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    Yeah, I just watched Episode 31 and 32 of Reunited Worlds (which I don’t even like) and they are not subbed yet on Viki but they have been subbed since this afternoon on Kocowa. Hopefully that 24 hour things on the Kocowa site will be indefinitely available for some dramas.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Debra Avatar
      Debra

      And neither is Episode 30 which was last week! This is going to be interesting!

      Like

      Reply
      1. Kay Avatar
        Kay

        Yeah, I think Viki still has some issues to work out with the fewer subbers now available. I really hope its something that improves as time goes by, but it does seem like Kocowa will be way ahead of them for the foreseeable future.

        Like

        Reply
        1. Debra Avatar
          Debra

          Agreed. I hope Viki realizes (Viki-if you are reading this, take heed!) that they can’t keep their customers if they don’t sub their episodes in a timely manner, despite it being a volunteer service, and just as importantly, or more-if they don’t provide reliable customer service. I just had a Facebook chat with Kocowa and it is so easy to reach them and try to get answers. I’ve had your four month experience and it’s awful! Viki needs to have a social media presence with helpers or respond to customers within a few days. Taking on Kocowa to keep subscribers is fine, but if they can’t perform the basic services such as these, people will demand their money back or/and not resubscribe.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply
  11. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    whoops!

    Like

    Reply
  12. Asyef Avatar
    Asyef

    New to kdramas and just signed up for Viki pass plus. Could have gone for standard but preferred getting access to everything on one platform versus 2. Plus its the same cost as Netflix which i subscribe too. Now realize drama fever has shows not on Viki so thinking of signing up with them as well. Yes Goblin is worth it to me 🙂

    Maybe north and south America is a trial run for Viki and kocowa before opening to other markets. Hopefully they figure that out soon so other K-drama fans aren’t left out esp. Since ppl are willing to pay!

    I agree with previous poster and refuse to download unlicensed dramas as well to support the industry cause I love kdramas too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Debra Avatar
      Debra

      I signed up for Viki and am so sorry I did. I think I have watched one or two dramas-they don’t seem to have the ones I want to watch and I expect a lot more for that yearly fee. I don’t think I will be resubscribing.

      Like

      Reply
    2. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      I too went for Viki Pass Plus as it worked out cheaper than getting Viki Standard plus Kocowa. I also like to watch on the TV which Kocowa doesn’t allow yet. Haha, yeah, the moment you realize even with Viki Plus you still don’t have all the dramas… I also subscribe to DramaFever. They used to get so many kdramas, but now they only get a couple of the cable dramas per cycle. Viki definitely has many more of the new dramas. But, yep, not Goblin! I understand the desire to get DF for that! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  13. auntdj111 Avatar
    auntdj111

    I subscribed to Viki. I won’t be doing that again-there has only been one or two dramas in the past six months that I have wanted to see that Viki has. I expect more from my money.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      Yeah, it really just depends on what dramas you like. If you like more of the cable dramas, Viki doesn’t get hardly any of those now. They seem to mostly get split between DramaFever and Netflix. But if you like network dramas (which I watch a lot of) Viki Plus or Kocowa is a must. It’s definitely more complicated these days figuring out where best to spend our money!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. debra Avatar
        debra

        I do like some network dramas- I actually am never sure if I am watching network or cable-I just read about a drama I want to see and then look for it!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
        1. Kay Avatar
          Kay

          I think that’s what most people do too. So it can seem kind of random who gets what. But things really shifted over the last year where Viki and Kocowa get all the network dramas, DF gets some of the cable dramas while Netflix is picking up several cable dramas too. It’s been both interesting to watch and see who is partnering with who and also frustrating with all the dramas dispersing between the channels 😛

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          1. debra Avatar
            debra

            Well, since I am not getting much joy from Viki,I guess I must gravitate towards cable dramas though I confused as to what the difference is in regards to what kind of dramas each has. I usually like more mature characters, more slice of life, etc.

            Liked by 1 person

            Reply
            1. Kay Avatar
              Kay

              I think you described the difference right there 🙂 Many of the cable dramas are more mature in subject and characters and also more experimental. Most people tend to think network dramas are a bit more generic and take less risks. And most of the OCN crime dramas are way more violent than network dramas. It does sound like you might like cable dramas more, especially if more of the recent DF offerings have appealed to you 🙂

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              1. debra Avatar
                debra

                Ah, ok- thank you! I do watch some network dramas, but you’re right, probably more cable.

                Liked by 1 person

                Reply
  14. debra Avatar
    debra

    sorry for duplicate post- a different name popped up and I had to change things back

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      No problem. I just thought you wanted to leave a comment for both Asyef and me, lol

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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