Global media executives and Hollywood buyers negotiate multi-million-dollar IP rights at the KOCCA on Screen distribution showcase.
KOCCA on Screen Drives $33.8 Million K-Content Export Talks
K-content exports gain momentum with KOCCA on Screen as international buyers look for bigger opportunities beyond usual Korean drama deals.
Highlights
- Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is pushing for K-content global expansion across key international markets with KOCCA on Screen.
- At the event, North America led the most number of K-content export consultations, with Hollywood powerhouses also taking part in the discussion.
- It shows how businesses overseas are increasingly trying to secure Korean IPs, co-production deals, remakes, and adaptations instead of completed series.
Global media companies are moving away from buying finished South Korean TV shows to secure the original intellectual property behind them, thus boosting higher-value deals in the global K-content market.
The South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, alongside the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), announced on June 29, 2026, that its distribution showcase, "KOCCA on Screen," obtained 293 business matching export consultations valued at about $33.82 million USD.
Running from April through June across Europe, the Americas, and Greater China (Taiwan), the program reportedly helped 20 state-funded Korean production companies to gain 35 active contracts worth $2.78M, bolstering the distribution of Korean content overseas.
North America Drives K-Content Business Talks
The North American market yielded the lion’s share of business volume during the initiative. The sessions were held alongside the LA Screenings 2026, where high-profile business discussions with major Hollywood studios like Paramount, Warner Bros., and Fox took place. Notably, they focused on international rights of K-drama, format exports, and co-production deals. These meetings accounted for 124 of the total consultations, with potential deals valued at $27.91 million.
Simultaneously, in Europe, the K-content pipeline was emphasized alongside the Udine Far East Film Festival in Italy. KOCCA introduced seven dramas and documentaries to buyers across 13 countries, registering $1.04M in export achievements with 85 consultations.
The K-content event concluded in Taipei, Taiwan through local screenings and export consultation sessions. Notably, the consumer demand met with industry interest in Taiwan. A local survey noted a 95.6% favorability rating toward Korean entertainment exports, according to the Seoul Economic Daily. However, KOCCA officials observed that local buyers prioritized long-term K-content IP commercialization over buying completed series, while also showing interest in AI short-form content, webtoon adaptations, co-productions, and remakes.
Scaling K-Content for International Markets
The outcomes depict strategic efforts by KOCCA to grow its operational footprint from early-stage local production funding to active global commercialization. “We will strengthen our support system so that production-supported works can lead to actual distribution and commercialization in overseas markets,” said Jeon Woo-young, as noted by the Seoul Economic Daily. Jeon, a division head at KOCCA, added further that the architecture aims at “raising the global competitiveness of K-content.”
Author
Diya Mukherjee is a Content Writer at Outlook Respawn with a postgraduate background in media. She has a passion for writing content and is enthusiastic about exploring cultures, literature, global affairs, and pop culture.
