The fan communication platform, Weverse, is expected to lose some of its artists to a new competitor soon.
On March 6, KST, Kakao Entertainment launched the beta version of its own global fan communication platform, Berriz. As of now, musician Jung Seung Hwan has joined the platform and invited his fans to communicate with him there.
Kakao Entertainment put out an official statement, announcing that their aim with Berriz is to establish it as a “playground” for global fans to experience fan culture and communicate with artists freely. The official release of the platform is slated for the end of March. Kakao plans to integrate more fan communities by providing services catered to various artists.
The beta version of Berriz has also teased that Starship Entertainment‘s newest girl group KiiiKiii will be opening a fan community on the platform soon.
With this new launch, there have been speculations of artists signed under SM Entertainment and Starship Entertainment migrating from other fan platforms to Berriz, given that both labels are subsidiaries of Kakao Entertainment. If true, then Weverse, the HYBE-owned global fan communication platform, stands to lose artists such as Girls’ Generation, aespa, Red Velvet, EXO, NCT Dream, RIIZE. all of whom had joined the platform in 2023 when SM ARTISTS official fan community opened on the platform.
Meanwhile, Weverse has been a hot topic of debate since the platform started incorporating paid services. You can read more about it here:
Will Fans Have To Pay For Weverse? HYBE Announces New Business Strategy