SK Broadband demands Netflix to pay for the associated maintenance costs due to the increasing 'network traffic and maintenance work because of a surge of viewers' of the popular series.
- Oct 5, 2021
AceShowbiz - "Squid Game" is hugely popular. However, it is not always a good thing for Netflix as the streaming giant was sued by South Korean internet service provider following the alleged surge in network traffic that the series caused.
SK Broadband demands Netflix to pay for the associated maintenance costs due to the spike it faced in networking traffic. The company wants the streaming platform "to pay for costs from increased network traffic and maintenance work because of a surge of viewers."
The company believes that "Netflix's data traffic handled by SK jumped 24 times from May 2018" and that it owes the company around "27.2 billion won" for the surge. A Seoul court also says that Netflix should "reasonably" pay to the internet service provider.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Netflix states in an email to CNBC, "We will review the claim that SK Broadband has filed against us. In the meantime, we continue to seek open dialogue and explore ways of working with SK Broadband in order to ensure a seamless streaming experience for our shared customers."
Netflix also argues that through "Squid Game", it has "contributed to the creation of about 16,000 jobs in South Korea stemming from about 770 billion won [£480bn] in investments."
Released on September 27, "Squid Game" is "an imaginative, unorthodox story in which 456 contestants risk their lives in a mysterious survival game -- involving multiple rounds of childhood games -- for a chance to win 45.6 billion won."
Written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk ("The Fortress"), the 9-part series stars Lee Jung-jae ("Chief of Staff"), Park Hae-soo ("Yungnyong-i Nareusya"), Yeong-su Oh ("The Great Queen Seondeok"), Wi Ha-Joon ("The Greatest Divorce"), fashion model Jung Ho-yeon, Heo Sung-tae ("Your Honor"), Anupam Tripathi and Joo-ryeong Kim.
