KT Skylife aims to attract 500,000 customers over 5 yrs with AI sports broadcast

CEO Choi Yeong-beom

KT SkyLife Co., a South Korean provider of digital satellite broadcasting services, will aim to attract 500,000 paid customers over the next five years by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technology with amateur sports broadcasting, according to its new chief executive officer.

“We plan to engage amateur student athletes, their families, and related parties who are currently in the blind spot of sports broadcasting,” said Choi Yeong-beom, CEO of KT SkyLife. “The number of amateur sports enthusiasts in Korea reaches 4.8 million.”

Choi’s remarks give a message that the company will aim to capture 10 percent of the amateur sports market, which totals 5 million people.

KT SkyLife – established as a subsidiary of KT Group in 2002 – has placed itself as a provider of digital satellite broadcasting services. Over the years, it has offered high-definition and high-quality sound broadcasting services by adopting the latest technology.

However, the rise of IPTV and online video services (OTT) has led the company to face challenges.

KT SkyLife plans to venture into the sports broadcasting market centered around amateur sports clubs.

In recent years, the company has diversified its business by launching internet services in 2017 and entering the budget mobile phone market in 2020.

Last year, KT SkyLife raised 1.03 trillion won in sales and 100.7 billion won in operating profit.

“We will be able to grow sustainably only if we engage in various new businesses,” the CEO said.

KT SkyLife acquired 24 percent of the domestic startup Hogak, which broadcasts amateur sports competitions, for 6.8 billion won ($5 million) in July. It also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pixellot, an Israeli software development company focused on creation of automatic video and analytics for the sports market.

“The AI camera from Pixellot automatically tracks the ball during filming and uses various filming techniques,” Choi said. “This is a service being introduced for the first time in Korea and it could be linked to KT’s commerce business in the future.”