Webtoons Market Report 2026

The webtoons market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $10.75 billion in 2025 to $14.02 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to increasing smartphone penetration, rise of digital comic readership, growth of social media platforms, adoption of free-to-read webtoons, expansion of korean cultural exports.

The webtoons market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $36.33 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.9%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to rising demand for interactive content, integration of ar/vr experiences, global subscription-based models expansion, growth in advertisement-based monetization, collaboration with mainstream entertainment franchises. Major trends in the forecast period include mobile-optimized content consumption, multi-genre storytelling, user-generated content integration, social engagement and community building, micro-transactions and monetization models.

The rise of digital entertainment platforms is expected to drive the growth of the webtoon market in the coming years. Digital entertainment platforms, which include online services offering movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, and video games, are growing due to factors such as cost efficiency, consumer demand, and improved data utilization. Webtoons, a versatile and engaging form of content, are increasingly used on these platforms to attract a broad audience, foster community, provide monetization opportunities, and enhance user experience. For instance, in 2023, Netflix, a US-based subscription video-on-demand and webtoons provider, reported a 6.6% year-on-year revenue increase, reaching $33.7 billion. Additionally, the company's net income rose by 20.4% to $5.4 billion, and its subscriber base expanded to 238.3 million worldwide. Therefore, the rise of digital entertainment platforms is fueling the growth of the webtoon market.

Major companies in the webtoons market are concentrating on creating innovative solutions, such as online retail platforms for webcomic merchandise, to cater to the growing demand for enhanced fan engagement, creator monetization, and brand-centric content ecosystems. An online retail platform is a specialized e-commerce site that allows fans to explore, buy, and receive official merchandise linked to digital storytelling IPs, expanding webcomic experiences beyond conventional digital reading platforms. For example, in November 2024, WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., a US-based digital entertainment company, introduced the WEBTOON Shop, an official global online retail platform for webcomic merchandise. The platform provides a variety of products, including apparel, accessories, household items, and collectible editions inspired by popular webtoon series like Lore Olympus, The Mafia Nanny, Love 4 a Walk, School Bus Graveyard, and All of Us Are Dead. It offers limited-edition merchandise releases, such as the Heroes and Villains collection, worldwide shipping, and launch promotions, including free gifts and WEBTOON coin giveaways, enabling fans to support creators by bringing digital story worlds into the physical realm.

In December 2024, Sweden-based gaming company Stillfront Group formed a partnership with NAVER WEBTOON to create mobile games inspired by popular WEBTOON webcomics for international audiences. The collaboration is designed to extend WEBTOON’s storytelling intellectual property into interactive mobile gaming and attract a broader global player base. Webtoon Entertainment Inc., headquartered in South Korea, operates a widely popular global digital webcomic platform.

Major companies operating in the webtoons market are NAVER Corporation, Kakao Corporation, Bilibili Inc., KIDARISTUDIO Inc., D&C Media Co. Ltd., Manta Media Inc., Toomics Global Co. Ltd, RIDI Corporation, NHN Comico Corporation, Lezhin Entertainment LLC, Mr. Blue Corporation, NETCOMICS INC., Webtoon Factory, Foxtoon, Mangatoon HK Limited, LINE Digital Frontier Corporation, ToryComics, INKR Comics, Webnovel Inc., Piccoma Inc., Delitoon.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the webtoons market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the webtoons market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the webtoons market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The webtoons market includes revenues earned by entities through digital and print sales of webtoon episodes, premium content, webtoon series, and exclusive releases. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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