LCK signs five-year Partnership With Naver and SOOP, YouTube will no longer have LCK Korean broadcast

The League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) has officially announced a major five-year partnership with Korean streaming platforms Naver and SOOP, reshaping the upcoming half a decade for the strongest league in the world. The agreement, set to run from 2026 through 2030, is one of the most significant media-rights agreements in the esports scene and will have major repercussions for the global audience.

The LCK will have exclusive domestic broadcasts starting in 2026

While financial details were not disclosed, according to a report by SPOTV news, the deal between the game publisher and the broadcast platforms will set a long-term foundation for the LoL Korean esports ecosystem, with all domestic live broadcasts of LCK matches becoming available exclusively on Naver and SOOP. This means that YouTube will no longer broadcast the LCK matches in Korean. Luckily for Western fans, the English broadcast will continue to be on YouTube, as well as the broadcast of the international tournaments, such as First Stand (FST), the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), and the World Championship (Worlds).

Additionally, all LCK-related content, including highlights, replays, and behind-the-scenes footage, will first appear on Naver and SOOP before being uploaded to the official LCK YouTube channel.

This partnership does not just extend to media rights. The company will have initiatives to enhance fan engagement both online and offline, including strengthening the co-streaming ecosystem.

Naver also secures naming rights to LoL Park

The LCK stadium will also change its name starting in 2026. With Naver securing the naming rights, LoL Park will be rebranded as “CHZZK LoL Park,” and the venue will have themed seating. Moreover, Naver will also become the first domestic platform operator to link Riot Games accounts directly, allowing a strong integration with its services such as Drops, Naver Shopping, ticket reservations, and Naver Pay.

SOOP, on the other hand, will focus more on the fan-viewing experience, allowing playbacks and supporting viewing across mobile, PC, smart TVs, cable TV, and tablets.