What Astory does

Astory (주식회사 에이스토리) is a KOSDAQ-listed South Korean content production studio headquartered in Seoul, founded in 2004. The company develops, produces, and distributes television dramas, sitcoms, and entertainment programming, with a portfolio that includes international hits such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Kingdom Season 2, Vincenzo, Doctor Romantic, Big Mouth, and Crash. Astory operates as an integrated content studio rather than a platform owner, supplying finished content to Korean broadcasters (ENA, SBS, JTBC) and international streaming platforms (Netflix). Distribution extends across Asian markets including Indonesia, Thailand, and Hong Kong, with global reach via Netflix licensing.

The company's business model centers on content production for broadcaster and streaming platform buyers, with revenue generated through production fees, IP licensing, and international distribution rights. Strategic partnerships with Studio Dragon (2026), kt Studio Genie (2025), and Lotte Cultureworks (2025) expand distribution channels and enable IP extension into musical live entertainment. Astory maintains a roster of more than 11 established writers and 7 directors, many with prior senior roles at Korean broadcasters and producers of major historical hits. Leadership includes CEO Lee Sang-baek (also representative director of Enterone) and CSO Han Se-min, who concurrently serves as Co-CEO of SM Entertainment, creating cross-vertical talent and IP integration.

Astory's go-to-market relies on press coverage, industry events (participated in 2025 PREVUE where it won the Choice Day Award from Korea's Ministry of Culture and KOCCA), and referral distribution partnerships. The customer base is concentrated among a small number of major Korean broadcasters and Netflix, creating elevated customer concentration risk. The company is publicly held on KOSDAQ with no disclosed private equity or venture capital ownership.

Name

Astory

Legal name

주식회사 에이스토리

Website

https://astory.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Astory is a KOSDAQ-listed South Korean drama production studio that develops and distributes television content for Korean broadcasters and global streaming platforms like Netflix, with a hit portfolio including Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Kingdom, and Crash.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Content Production

akta.pro primary industry

Pay-TV / Premium Window Distribution (MPADAJAH)

Keywords

• Drama production studio
• Korean drama content
• Television series production
• Content distribution licensing
• Entertainment content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Astory is a South Korean global comprehensive content studio that develops, produces, and distributes scripted television drama series and entertainment programming. The company produces full-length dramas, sitcoms, and entertainment/variety content for Korean broadcasters (ENA, SBS, JTBC) and international streaming platforms, with hits such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Crash, Big Mouth, and Kingdom Season 2 distributed globally including through Netflix.

Product overview

Astory is a global comprehensive content studio (글로벌 종합 콘텐츠 스튜디오) that develops, produces, and distributes television content. The company's portfolio centers on drama productions organized into four main categories: Drama (full-length series including Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Crash, Big Mouth, Kingdom, Vincenzo), Sitcom, Entertainment+, and Coming Soon projects. Astory operates as a single integrated studio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, offering content creation services from development through production and distribution, with international reach through partnerships with platforms like Netflix and collaborations with domestic broadcasters including ENA, SBS, and JTBC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drama Series Full-length scripted television drama series produced by Astory for Korean broadcasters and international streaming platforms, spanning genres such as legal dramas, romantic comedies, thrillers, historical, and zombies. Notable titles include Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Crash, Big Mouth, Jirisan, and Kingdom Season 2.
• Sitcom Series Sitcom and comedy series produced by Astory featuring lighter entertainment content aimed at broader audiences and broadcast on Korean networks.
• Entertainment+ Variety Programming Entertainment content including variety shows and alternative programming produced by Astory beyond traditional drama formats.
• Idol Idol (아이돌아이) Mystery courtroom romance drama produced by Astory featuring Choi Su-young and Kim Jae-young. Achieved global 5th place ranking in first week of release and expanded popularity across Asia including Indonesia, Thailand, and Hong Kong.
• Crash (크래시) ENA-broadcast drama produced by Astory and ranked as ENA's all-time 2nd highest rated drama. Successfully expanded to international markets with a second season (Crash 2) announced for broadcast in 2H 2026.
• Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우) Award-winning legal drama produced by Astory (writer Moon Ji-won) that achieved international success through Netflix distribution, establishing Astory's global K-drama profile.
• Kingdom Season 2 (킹덤 시즌2) Historical zombie thriller series produced by Astory in collaboration with Netflix, exemplifying Astory's international co-production capabilities.
• Big Mouth (빅마우스) Major drama production by Astory written by Jang Young-chul, featuring prominent cast members and contributing to Astory's IP portfolio.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Studio Dragon (스튜디오드래곤)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026Astory signed a drama supply agreement with Studio Dragon for the production and supply of dramas including '수성궁밀회록' (Suseong Palace Secret Records). This partnership enables Astory to leverage Studio Dragon's distribution network for Korean broadcasting markets.
• Lotte Cultureworks (롯데컬처웍스)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Collaboration to adapt Astory's drama content into musical productions. This partnership expands the IP value of Astory's dramas into live entertainment formats.
• kt Studio Genie (kt 스튜디오지니)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Joint planning and production cooperation for drama content. This strategic alliance combines Astory's content development capabilities with kt's production resources and distribution channels for Korean drama series.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KeyEast: Korean entertainment company combining talent management with drama production. Produces series featuring managed actors and supplies content to broadcasters and streaming platforms.
• Chorokbaem Media: Korean drama and entertainment production company with history of producing series for KBS, MBC, and SBS. Comparable focus on traditional broadcast drama production and content supply.
• Studio Dragon: Largest Korean drama production studio and Astory's strategic partner. Produces hit series for Korean broadcasters and Netflix. Direct competitor in drama production but also a distribution partner, making the relationship both collaborative and competitive.
• SLL: Korean drama production studio (formerly Drama House Studio) producing series for broadcasters and OTT platforms. Direct competitor with similar focus on drama IP development and production.
• IOK Company: Korean entertainment production company producing dramas and films. Comparable business model in developing and producing content for broadcasters and streaming platforms across multiple genres.
• Bon Factory: Mid-tier Korean drama production company producing series for major broadcasters. Comparable business model of developing and producing drama series for TV networks and streaming platforms.
• JTBC Studios: Production arm of JTBC, producing major Korean dramas including Sky Castle and The World of the Married. Direct competitor in Korean drama production and content supply to broadcasters and streaming platforms.

Regional players

• MBC C&I: Content production subsidiary of MBC, one of Korea's major broadcast networks. Produces dramas and entertainment content primarily for the parent broadcaster's channel, with similar production scale and genre focus.
• KBS Media: Content arm of KBS, Korea's national broadcaster. Produces and distributes dramas and entertainment programming, comparable in role as a content supplier to broadcast networks in Korean market.

Broad incumbents

• CJ ENM: Major Korean entertainment conglomerate that owns Studio Dragon and operates tvN, one of Korea's largest cable TV networks. Much larger player with broader portfolio including film, music, and live entertainment beyond drama production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Astory