Netmarble's Top Sponsored Video Is a Bizarre Food Challenge — 264 YouTube Sponsorships Across 4 Korean Game Companies Reveal Opposite Strategies
Key Takeaways
- · 넷마블 협찬 조회수 1위는 게임 채널이 아닌 예능 채널 고재영의 '괴식 먹방'(160만 회)으로, 크로스 카테고리 전략의 효과를 보여줍니다.
- · 아이템땡스는 13명의 크리에이터에 111건(1인당 8.5편)을 집행하며 게임 채널 99% 집중 반복 전략을 구사합니다.
- · 넥슨은 협찬 영상의 68%가 숏폼으로 게임 카테고리 평균(16.2%)의 4배를 넘지만, 참여율은 4사 중 최저(1.27%)입니다.
- · 해긴은 게임 채널 비율 0%, 스포츠 채널 100%라는 파격적 타깃팅으로 중간값 조회수 4사 1위(54,711)를 달성했습니다.
- · 같은 게임 업종이라도 풀어야 할 문제(유저 확장, 반복 전환, 인지도, 팬덤)에 따라 유튜브 전략이 완전히 달라집니다.
Dhesy analyzed 904 YouTube sponsorships in the gaming category out of 6,392 total collaborations across 2,382 brands. Four companies in the same industry showed completely different strategies in creator count, channel categories, and Shorts ratio. This article compares the data behind Netmarble, ItemThanks, Nexon, and Haegin's YouTube marketing models.
The #1 Sponsored Video Among 264 Gaming Deals Is a Bizarre Food Challenge
Netmarble's most-viewed sponsored video came from an entertainment channel, not gaming.
Over 3 months, 83 gaming brands collaborated with 277 creators on 904 sponsorship videos. The top 4 by volume — ItemThanks (111), Netmarble (103), Nexon (34), and Haegin (16) — deployed such different approaches that they barely look like the same industry.
Netmarble's top-performing sponsored video was Ko Jaeyoung's "Eating Bizarre Food from Korea, China, and Japan" with 1.6 million views. Not a gameplay video — a food entertainment show. Meanwhile, ItemThanks focused on just 13 gaming creators, averaging 8.5 videos per creator, and Haegin used zero gaming channels — only sports.
Each Company Is Solving a Different Problem
Netmarble is a major publisher with "Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" (launched January 2026) and "Game of Thrones: Kingsroad" — both launched across PC, console, and mobile simultaneously. They need to pull in non-gamers. ItemThanks is a game item and in-game currency trading platform known for its "Rocket Trade" system and 200% fraud compensation. Their goal is converting active gamers into traders.
Nexon, with 6 new titles announced for 2026, needs rapid awareness for upcoming launches. Haegin launched "2026 Pro Baseball GO!" in late March — a KBO-licensed mobile baseball game — and is targeting baseball fans specifically.
The strategies differ because the problems differ.
Key Stats: 4 Companies, 90 Days of YouTube Sponsorships
| Metric | Netmarble | ItemThanks | Nexon | Haegin | Gaming Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored videos | 103 | 111 | 34 | 16 | — |
| Creators used | 29 | 13 | 16 | 6 | — |
| Avg videos/creator | 3.6 | 8.5 | 2.1 | 2.7 | — |
| Avg views/video | 109,234 | 70,071 | 59,777 | 83,234 | 122,673 |
| Median views | 40,579 | 34,358 | 36,099 | 54,711 | — |
| Engagement rate | 1.93% | 1.53% | 1.27% | 1.47% | — |
| Gaming channel ratio | 76% | 99% | 65% | 0% | — |
| Shorts ratio | 6% | 2% | 68% | 38% | 16.2% |
게임 4사 유튜브 협찬 비교 (90일)
* Source: Dhesy
Netmarble leads with 1.93% engagement, while Nexon trails at 1.27%. The surprise is Haegin: despite using zero gaming channels, its median views of 54,711 are the highest among all four.
Netmarble: Cross-Category Expansion
24% of 103 sponsorships went to non-gaming channels.
Of Netmarble's 29 creators, 8 are entertainment, 4 are sports, and 7 are in education/humanities. Their top 3 videos by views feature 2 non-gaming channels: Ko Jaeyoung (entertainment, 1.6M views) and No Bbakku Tak Jaehoon (entertainment, 700K) both outperformed gaming channel BigBoss (390K).
Ko Jaeyoung's "bizarre food" video has zero gaming keywords in the title. The game appears naturally mid-video. Instead of reaching viewers already seeking gaming content, it creates a first touchpoint with audiences who watch their favorite creator.
브랜드별 크리에이터 채널 카테고리 분포
* Source: Dhesy
ItemThanks: 13 Creators, 111 Videos — Deep Repetition
8.5 videos per creator on average, 99% gaming channels.
ItemThanks runs the opposite playbook. 13 creators each produced an average of 8.5 sponsored videos. All but one went to gaming channels.
KickTube's Sudden Attack video (468K views) was the top performer. Dhesy's earlier analysis of ItemMania (4 creators, 63 videos) showed the same deep-repetition pattern. Game item trading platforms seem to gravitate toward this model. When your target user is someone already playing a specific game, saturating that game's YouTube ecosystem is the most direct path to conversion.
Nexon: 68% Shorts — Algorithm-First Reach
Over 4x the gaming category average Shorts ratio of 16.2%.
23 of Nexon's 34 sponsorships (68%) were Shorts. With 6 new titles to promote, Shorts offer algorithm-driven reach for rapid awareness.
Runmingi's "Pororo in KartRider" (246K views) and Woojeonging's "Wind Kingdom 30th Anniversary" Short (234K views) deliver a single update in a compact format. Engagement sits at 1.27% — the lowest of the four. Shorts typically see lower comments and likes than long-form, and this pattern holds.
The trade-off: maximum reach now, with conversion handled by app store ads and in-game events.
Haegin: 0% Gaming, 100% Sports — Fandom Targeting
All 16 videos on sports channels. Highest median views of all four.
Haegin's strategy is the most unusual. Every single video went to sports channels — zero gaming. "2026 Pro Baseball GO!" is a KBO-licensed game, so baseball fans are the target users.
Stocking channel's "Yongkuk's Romantic 90s Samsung Stories" (263K views) and Kim Taegyun TK52's "2026 KBO Season Prediction" (229K views) tap into baseball nostalgia. The game ad is woven into content fans already care about. Median views of 54,711 are the highest of all four — precision targeting pays off even with a smaller volume.
Where Each Strategy Breaks Down
Netmarble's cross-category approach makes it hard to measure actual game install conversion from non-gaming audiences. ItemThanks' repetition model risks viewer fatigue and over-dependence on 1-2 key creators. Nexon's Shorts-first strategy, as the 1.27% engagement rate shows, struggles with deep brand imprinting. Haegin's sports-only approach carries seasonal risk when the KBO season ends.
This analysis is based on views and engagement. Actual app installs and revenue conversion require brand-side data not available here.
Takeaways for Game Marketers
If you need to expand beyond existing gamers, consider cross-category like Netmarble. If you need repeated behavior from current users (purchases, trades), saturate their specific game channels like ItemThanks. If short-term awareness for a new title is the priority, lean into Shorts like Nexon. If your product overlaps with a specific fandom, target fandom channels like Haegin.
All four are gaming companies. Their YouTube strategies are completely different because the problems they're solving are different. "Gaming company = gaming channels" is a default assumption that 264 data points contradict.
FAQ
Q. What is the average view count for sponsored gaming videos on YouTube?
A. Based on Dhesy data, the average across 904 sponsored gaming videos over 3 months (January–April 2026) is 122,673 views. However, the distribution is heavily skewed, so the median (approximately 35,000–55,000) is a more realistic benchmark.
Q. Why does Netmarble sponsor entertainment channels instead of gaming channels?
A. Netmarble launched "Seven Deadly Sins: Origin" simultaneously across PC, console, and mobile, requiring user acquisition beyond the core gamer audience. Entertainment channel viewers are potential new users. In practice, non-gaming channels significantly outperformed gaming channels in views.
Q. Are Shorts sponsorships more effective than long-form?
A. Nexon's case shows Shorts can generate more impressions, but engagement rate was 1.27% — lower than the other three brands (1.47–1.93%). Use Shorts for awareness and long-form for deeper brand connection.
Q. Why do game item trading platforms prefer repetition strategies?
A. Both ItemThanks (13 creators, 111 videos) and ItemMania (4 creators, 63 videos) use deep-repetition models. Game item trading targets users already playing specific games, so saturating those game channels with repeated exposure is the most direct conversion path.
Methodology: Based on Dhesy platform data covering 2,382 brands and 6,392 collaborations. Detailed analysis of 904 sponsorships across 83 gaming brands. Analysis period: January 19 – April 19, 2026. Data source: Dhesy External sources: Newsis — Netmarble Game of Thrones Showcase, ZDNet — Haegin Pro Baseball GO Launch, Herald — Nexon 6 New Titles Last updated: 2026-04-19