SOOP (AfreecaTV) Star Balloon payouts + BJ agency settlement guide

Where SOOP sits in 2026

AfreecaTV rebranded to SOOP in 2024 and has been clawing back Korean market share since. Together with Chzzk it forms the two-way Korean live market, but SOOP stands out for higher donation amounts and a more loyal fan-base pool. Gaming, mukbang, politics, and current-affairs talk are still SOOP's #1 verticals.

What does one Star Balloon actually pay the host?

Star Balloons are SOOP's core donation currency. The viewer purchase price and the BJ payout amount aren't the same.

• Viewer purchase price: 1 balloon = ₩110 (VAT included)
• Host take-home: Regular BJ 60% → about ₩66 / balloon
• Best BJ 70% → about ₩77 / balloon
• Partner BJ 80% → about ₩88 / balloon

Example: a viewer donates 10,000 balloons = viewer paid ₩1.1M → a regular BJ receives about ₩660,000. A Best BJ receives ₩770,000. Tier differences translate directly into revenue differences.

BJ tier system

SOOP's BJ system has four tiers.

• New BJ — 60% on signup
• Best BJ — apply yourself + pass operator review → 70%. Comprehensive review of average viewers, broadcast hours, no issues, etc.
• Partner BJ — invite-only review → 80%. Average 1,000+ concurrent viewers and a monthly revenue threshold.
• National-Class / Top Tier — special tier, terms negotiated individually.

Your current tier is visible in SOOP Studio → Payouts.

Management agencies and payout flow

Many SOOP BJs are signed to management agencies. The agency handles marketing, PR issues, ad matching, and legal support — in exchange for 20–40% of revenue.

Once with an agency, your Star Balloon payout flow becomes: SOOP → agency bank account → fees deducted → BJ bank account. The extra clearing step can delay disbursement by 1–2 weeks.

Before signing, you must verify: fee rate, guaranteed ad-matching count, termination penalties, ad revenue share (which can differ from balloon share), and your content IP rights. See the agency selection guide for negotiation tactics.

Subs, ads, and items

Beyond balloons, SOOP has other revenue channels:

• Subs — viewers pay ₩3,900/month → host receives about ₩2,500–₩3,000 (tier-dependent)
• Ad revenue — SOOP's per-impression rate + your share. Average CPM for Korean viewers ₩2,000–₩5,000
• Item / gift-card sales — register your characters / goods in the SOOP Store → 15% sales fee. Available from Best BJ tier
• Sponsorships / brand deals — handled by your agency or by you directly. Off-platform revenue, so it settles separately

Taxes — Star Balloons are business income too

Under Korean tax law, SOOP earnings count as business income. Once you cross ₩48M/year in revenue, business registration is required. SOOP issues your prior-year payment statement automatically every January — keep it for your Hometax filing. If you have an agency, the agency issues a separate statement that you'll need to aggregate. See the Korean streamer income tax guide for the filing flow.