Global Webtoons Market Size and Share Outlook - Forecast Trends and Growth Analysis Report (2025-2034)

Global Webtoons Market Growth

Webtoons are digital comics or graphic novels available online, and accessible on smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. Originating from South Korea, these webcomics feature a wide range of genres and themes to appeal to a diverse audience. The rise of smartphones and tablets has significantly boosted their popularity, as the vertical, scroll-down format suits these devices well, boosting the webtoons market expansion. In 2023, nearly 54% of the global population (4.3 billion individuals) owned a smartphone.

The market growth is being boosted by younger generations' inclination towards on-demand, mobile-friendly content. Webtoons fulfil this demand by providing accessible, engaging, and interactive entertainment. They span a broad array of genres and themes, attracting a diverse range of demographics and interests. Additionally, the platform fosters diverse voices, enabling creators from different backgrounds to share their stories.

Industry reports show that global television volume remained steady at around 230 million units in 2020 and 2021. Projections indicate a gradual increase, reaching approximately 240 million units by 2025 and continuing to rise through 2029. This consistent performance highlights the enduring demand for televisions worldwide, driven by technological advancements, increased digital content consumption, and the growing popularity of smart TVs, further boosting demand for webtoons.

Global Webtoons Market Trends

Growing adaptation of webtoons in other media

The webtoons demand forecast is being supported by the increasing adaptation of webtoons into animations, video games, live-action series, films, and merchandise. As webtoons are traditionally designed for mobile screens with vertical scrolling, their adaptation into animation creates a different viewing experience that remains faithful to their original design and style. In October 2024, Crunchyroll announced that the popular webtoon The Beginning After the End is receiving an anime adaptation, which is slated to premiere in 2025. In addition, webtoons are being adapted into live-action series across various genres, attracting mainstream movie and TV watchers. Major streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu are actively commissioning live-action adaptations of webtoons to capitalise on their existing readership. In August 2024, Naver WEBTOON‘s StudioN announced that the South Korean webtoon Pigpen was to be adapted into a live-action series.

Global Webtoons Market Overview

Evolving reader demands

While romance and comedy remain popular webtoon genres, there is an increasing interest in niche genres like slice-of-life, sci-fi, horror, and thriller. Readers are also seeking webtoons that reflect a broader range of cultural backgrounds, experiences, and identities and demanding non-Western stories that showcase diverse customs, folklore, and historical backgrounds. With the rise of interactive media such as streaming platforms, social media, and video games, webtoon readers prefer a more interactive and immersive reading experience where they can influence the plot and engage with a story through polls, games, or user-generated content. The proliferation of technologies such as virtual and augmented reality (AR/VR) is also making webtoons more immersive, hence aiding the webtoons market expansion.

Global Webtoons Market Drivers

Technological advancements

Technological advancements and innovations are revolutionising the webtoons market landscape. AI-powered tools automate inking, colouring, and shading, enabling creators to focus on artistic aspects. Advancements in generative AI models such as MidJourney and DALL·E, which can generate art from text prompts, are expected to assist creators. Besides, webtoon platforms are increasingly leveraging technologies like AI and machine learning to provide personalised recommendations and feeds based on user behaviour. Key players are also adopting AI to track and analyse webtoon performance data across different regions and demographics to make informed decisions regarding marketing strategies and content production. Moreover, increasing research and development activities aimed at incorporating AR and VR into webtoons to facilitate novel interactions and immersive experiences are anticipated to fuel the market in the coming years.

Market News

October 2024

WEBTOON Entertainment announced a collaboration with social venture company Dot Inc. to create tactile digital comics. Through this, popular Webtoon series, including Yumi’s Cells and Hooky, are to be converted into braille on Dot Pad.

May 2021

Kakao Entertainment signed a definitive agreement to acquire US-based Tapas Media, Inc. and Radish Media, Inc. in order to expand its original content video business in North America and other English-speaking regions and strengthen its web novel and webtoons business. 

Global Webtoons Market Dynamics

The global shift to digital media consumption is a key driver aiding the market growth. The extensive use of smartphones, tablets, and high-speed internet has made digital content, including webtoons, widely accessible to a large audience. The growing demand for webtoons is also driven by their increasing adaptation into various forms of media, including animations, live-action series, films, video games, and merchandise. Webtoons, originally designed for vertical scrolling on mobile screens, maintain their unique style when adapted into animations. Besides, webtoon genres are diversifying, with readers showing interest in niche genres like slice-of-life, sci-fi, horror, and thriller, and seeking more diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences. Interactive elements such as polls and games are increasingly incorporated into webtoons to enhance reader engagement. Technological advancements like AI are revolutionising the creation process, automating tasks like inking and colouring. AI tools also enable personalised recommendations and help platforms analyse user data to improve content strategy. The integration of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) technologies is expected to further enhance immersion and interactivity, driving the continued expansion of the webtoons market.

Global Webtoons Market Restraints

The webtoons market growth can be impeded by growing concerns regarding piracy and unauthorised distribution of content. Challenges surrounding intellectual property protection and disputes over IP rights and ownership can hinder investments in new webtoon projects. Furthermore, the influx of new webtoons and intense competition between webtoon platforms can lead to content saturation and make it difficult for new or small players to gain traction in the market. Although diversity within the webtoon space is growing, there is still a lack of webtoon content that represents different cultures and identities.

Global Webtoons Industry Segmentation

The EMR’s report titled “Global Webtoons Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Market Breakup by Genre

• Comedy
• Action
• Sci-Fic
• Romance
• Horror
• Others

Market Breakup by Revenue Model

• Subscription Based
• Advertisement Based

Market Breakup by Device Type

• Mobile
• Television

Market Breakup by Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

Global Webtoons Market Share

By Genre Insights

The webtoons market value is increasing due to the rising popularity of the romance genre that resonates across cultures and age groups, making it universally appealing. The themes of love, relationships, and emotional connections are relatable to a vast audience, ensuring a broad reader base. The romance genre in webtoons encompasses a variety of sub-genres and themes, including contemporary romance, historical romance, fantasy romance, and romantic comedy; this diversity attracts a wide range of readers with different tastes and preferences. For instance, in July 2024, it was reported that Webtoon’s romance series The Reason for the Twin Lady's Disguise attracted 90 million views.

The comedy genre is also expected to witness significant growth in the global webtoons market as humour often transcends cultural and language barriers, especially when visual gags and situational comedy are involved. In a fast-paced and often stressful modern lifestyle, readers seek light-hearted entertainment that offers a break from their daily routines and comedy webtoons provide this by offering humorous content that can lighten moods and offer a form of escapism.

Meanwhile, action webtoons enjoy considerable appeal due to the combination of dynamic storytelling, engaging character development, exciting plot, universal themes, and unpredictability and suspense. In January 2022, Marvel Comics and WEBTOON announced ETERNALS: THE 500 YEAR WAR, showcasing the Eternals in their past encounters during the 500 Year War against the Deviants around the world.

By Revenue Model Insights

Subscription-based revenue model, relying on users to pay a recurring fee to access premium content and enhanced experiences, accounts for a major share of the webtoons market. This model offers a predictable and steady income stream to platforms, helps them build a loyal, dedicated, and engaged audience base, and provides a seamless user experience. The increasing demand for ad-free experiences among users is further propelling the market expansion.

Meanwhile, the advertisement-supported revenue model involves the generation of income through advertisements displayed within the webtoon platform. This model requires no upfront costs, which makes webtoons accessible to a broad audience. As this model does not require subscription fees, it makes it easier for developers to target users across different demographics and income levels. Some popular webtoons operating on ad-supported revenue models are Tapas, LINE Webtoon, and Lezhin Comics, among others.

By Device Type Insights

As per the webtoons industry analysis, mobile occupies a significant portion of the market share due to the extensive adoption of smartphones worldwide. It is a primary platform for readers to access webtoons anytime and anywhere. Webtoons are designed for vertical scrolling, providing seamless reading experiences on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. Moreover, market players are enhancing the reading experience on mobile applications by providing offline reading and in-app offers, discounts, and sales.

The increasing number of adaptations from webtoons to animated shows, live action series, and K-dramas is providing lucrative webtoons market opportunities. Streaming giants like Netflix, Crunchyroll, and Amazon Prime are attempting to adapt webtoons into TV series. Some popular webtoon-to-TV adaptions include All of Us Are Dead, Sweet Home, and Tower of God.

Global Webtoons Market Regional Insights

North America Webtoons Market Trends

The growing demand for diverse entertainment content, the increasing popularity of digital comics, and the surging influence of Korean culture are driving the webtoons demand growth in North America. In 2021, 70% of webtoon users in the United States were aged under 24. The United States is positioned as the world’s largest entertainment and content sector. The increasing adaptation of webtoons into television series and films in the region is further adding to the market expansion. Besides, the surging inclusion of English-language webtoons and webcomics created by local North American artists is aiding the webtoons market development. In Q2 2022, WEBTOON’s monthly active users (MAU) reached 12.5 million.

Asia Pacific Webtoons Market Dynamics

The rising internet penetration and growing mobile usage are driving the market growth in the Asia Pacific. South Korea dominates the Asia Pacific webtoons market share as it is the originator of webtoons. Digital comics and webtoons have positioned themselves as an indispensable part of South Korean digital entertainment culture and the surging popularity of webtoons to TV/film adaptions such as Vincenzo and Itaewon Class are fuelling the market. In December 2021, the South Korean webtoon industry witnessed combined sales of 1 trillion won, as per the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

The young population in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines boast a high webtoon readership and platforms like Tapas and LINE Webtoon are localising content to pique the interest of Southeast Asian readers. Moreover, the growing young population in countries like India is boosting the demand for mobile-first entertainment formats such as short videos and webtoons. In November 2022, Rockin' KOREA Co., Ltd. announced the launch of "RK Toon", a K-WEBTOON service platform of various genres centred on romance, targeting the Indian population.

Competitive Landscape

Key webtoons market players are investing in advanced technologies, global expansion, partnerships, and innovations in culture creation. They are also diversifying content to cater to different audience preferences, integrating interactive features, adapting webtoons in other media formats, and adopting diverse monetisation models.

Key Industry Players

Marvel Entertainment, LLC

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in New York, United States. It is the creator of some of the most popular superhero franchises such as X-Men, Thor, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Avengers. Through collaboration with webtoon platforms like Tapas and WEBTOON, the company has emerged as a leader in the digital comic space.

Kakao Entertainment Co., Ltd

Kakao Entertainment Co., Ltd, a part of South Korean Kakao Corporation, has carved a niche in the global entertainment and digital content industry. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Seoul, the company has been at the forefront of the webtoon revolution. Some of its popular webtoon platforms include KakaoPage, Tapas Media, and Lezhin Comics.

Naver Webtoon Limited

Naver Webtoon Limited, founded in 2004 and headquartered in South Korea, is a leader in the global digital content and technology sectors. The company operates the WEBTOON platform, which has emerged as the world’s largest webtoon platform. Some of its popular webtoons are True Beauty, Lore Olympus, The Sound of Your Heart, and The God of High School.

Other key players in the webtoons market include SideWalk Group, Izneo Company, Lezhin Entertainment, LLC, Kidari Studio Co., Ltd., Contents First, Inc. (Tappytoon), Toomics Global Co., Ltd, and RIDI Corporation.

Recent Developments

July 2022

NPX Capital announced that its portfolio company Terapin Studios acquired Toomics, a leading Korean webtoon platform, for USD 160 million. Through this, the company aims to strengthen its position in delivering Korea’s digital and entertainment content through its ‘one source multi use’ (OSMU) model.

May 2021

Kakao Entertainment Corp. released KAKAO WEBTOON, combining its extensive collection of Super IPs with industry-leading UI and UX technologies and establishing itself as a leader in the mobile storytelling space.

Webtoons Market Report Snapshots

Webtoons Market Size

Webtoons Market Growth

Webtoons Market Share

Webtoons Companies