Watch the latest Korean, Chinese, and Japanese content with multilingual subtitles
Founded in 2007 by Razmig Hovaghimian, Changseong Ho, and Jiwon Moon, Viki began as an ambitious project to bridge cultural gaps through entertainment. The name "Viki" is a portmanteau of "video" and "wiki," reflecting the platform's core philosophy of collaborative content creation. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with additional offices in Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul, Viki has grown into a global streaming phenomenon serving millions of users worldwide.
Viki's journey accelerated significantly when it was acquired by Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten in September 2013 for $200 million. This acquisition provided the resources needed to expand content offerings and technological capabilities. By 2021, Viki had amassed over 53 million users, a testament to its compelling value proposition in the competitive streaming landscape.
"Viki won the Crunchie award for best international start-up company in January 2011, recognizing its innovative approach to content localization and community engagement."
What truly sets Viki apart is its revolutionary approach to subtitling. Unlike traditional streaming platforms that rely on professional translation teams, Viki leverages a global community of volunteers known as "Viki Contributors." These passionate users subtitle content into more than 200 languages, including approximately 50 vulnerable or endangered languages, helping preserve linguistic diversity while making content accessible worldwide.
The platform's proprietary subtitling technology enables real-time collaboration, allowing multiple volunteers to work on the same video simultaneously across different languages. This unique model has created unprecedented access to international content:
Viki streams premium licensed content through partnerships with major studios and networks including BBC Worldwide, Warner Music, SEED Music Group, and LOEN Entertainment. The platform has secured distribution deals with industry leaders like Hulu, Netflix, Yahoo!, NBC, A&E, TVB (Hong Kong), SBS (South Korea), Fuji TV (Japan), and Amedia (Russia).
The content library spans multiple Asian entertainment categories:
Viki has continuously invested in technology to enhance user experience. In 2011, the company launched Viki On-The-Go, an iPhone app that allowed mobile viewing. This was followed by an Android app developed in partnership with Samsung Southeast Asia. The platform's intuitive interface includes:
Viki's international expansion demonstrates sophisticated market adaptation. Recognizing the fragmentation of the global streaming market, Viki implemented region-specific strategies:
As the streaming landscape evolves, Viki continues to innovate. The platform is exploring AI-assisted translation tools to support human contributors, reducing turnaround time while maintaining quality. There's also increased investment in original content production, aiming to develop shows with inherent global appeal rather than localized adaptations.
Viki's community-driven model presents a compelling alternative to the top-down approach of mainstream streaming services. By empowering viewers to become active participants in the localization process, Viki hasn't just built a streaming platform—it's cultivated a global community united by shared love for storytelling across cultural boundaries.
The platform's success demonstrates that technology alone doesn't break down cultural barriers—it's the combination of innovative tools and passionate human collaboration that creates truly borderless entertainment. As internet connectivity continues to spread globally, Viki's model offers a blueprint for building entertainment platforms that celebrate linguistic diversity while creating shared viewing experiences.
