Viber has revealed Sticker Market, the launch of which will enable it to sell paid-for virtual stickers through its app.
Viber first introduced its stickers in December last year, but until now theyve all been available for free. Its the first time the app has been monetised, but wont be the last – other paid features are set to follow.
The move follows in the footsteps of similar OTT messaging services like Line, which makes over £10m from stickers each quarter. Clearly, stickers are big business, but its worth noting that the model was born, and still seems to be most popular, in Asia. Itll be interesting to see how successful the stickers are for Viber, aimed at a more Western audience – something Facebook, which launched its own free stickers back in June, will no doubt be keeping close eye on. 
Sticker Market will launch with a forthcoming update of the Viber app.
