Sync-Watching App Oshiparty Expands to Soccer With World Cup Event
Oshiparty is testing whether the sync-watching format, which has become standard for anime and movies among VTuber audiences, can replicate that engagement for live sports, a category with different real-time stakes and a separate streaming infrastructure.
Reporting from 3 sources: KAI-YOU, ASCII.jp, PANORA.
The anime and movie sync-watching app oshiparty is expanding into sports viewing with a soccer-focused event timed to the FIFA World Cup. From June 29 to July 20, the app will host a "Soccer Simultaneous Viewing" project featuring seven soccer streamers and VTubers. Participants include the soccer information channel PureChan, eFootball commentator HikacGames (Hikacck), soccer VTubers Riria Hikari and Ritsu Senoo, the Serie A channel SeriChan, virtual singer SUGAROCK, and rookie VTuber Rore Nagato. The app, released in March 2026 by SnackTime Inc., allows users to play a YouTube stream and a video subscription service simultaneously on a single smartphone. For this event, oshiparty has set up a pathway to view DAZN, the sports streaming service broadcasting all World Cup matches, from within the app's in-app browser. Full-screen mode, normally a paid feature, will be free during the event period. The company stated this is not an official partnership with DAZN or any tournament. An Android beta version developed for the event is also planned.
PureChan, a soccer information channel with over 250,000 subscribers, is run by three members: Ryo, Ito, and Yoppu. The channel's appeal is the "atmosphere of chatting in the soccer club room." HikacGames, a YouTuber with nearly 700,000 subscribers, is known for eFootball commentary and analysis. He watched the previous Qatar World Cup on-site and cried just before the start of a recent national team match. Riria Hikari, a pioneering soccer VTuber, once recorded over 20,000 concurrent viewers during a Japan national team match. Her cheering style is described as "gentle, fun, cute." Ritsu Senoo grew up in a soccer family and spent most of her life with FC Tokyo. She covers J.League, overseas soccer, the Japan national team, Nadeshiko Japan, youth, and high school soccer. SeriChan is a Serie A specialist channel run by a duo: Maruboro, a Milanista, and Kento, a Napoli supporter. SUGAROCK is a virtual singer whose debut single "The Hero" reached No. 1 on the iTunes rock chart. On her sub-channel "Shugaro!", she also commentates on Los Angeles Dodgers games. Rore Nagato calls herself a "soccer corporate slave VTuber" and aims to support working adults who cheer for soccer. She is a devoted fan of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.