SK Telecom Partners With Naver, AfreecaTV to Launch Sportscasting and Compete With LG, Coupang

SK Telecom and Naver Corp. are teaming up to offer sports broadcasting services together. Afreeca TV is also part of the three-way collaboration with the aim of competing with Coupang and LG.

As per The Korea Times, SK Telecom, Naver, and Afreeca TV signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to forge a partnership where they will jointly apply AI media technology to services that they will provide to customers. Through this deal, the three firms are mainly planning to present customized sports broadcasting services as well as advertisements.

Launch of New Sportscasting Services

On Thursday, Jan. 4, the South Korean mobile carrier said that through their collaborative agreement, they will introduce customized sports broadcasting services. SKT added that it would also expand the service later to include volleyball, basketball, golf, and more this year, as the broadcasting will initially start with pro baseball.

The trios' deal is expected to bring forth a vibrant and personalized sports viewing experience that customers will appreciate and enjoy. This is especially true as Naver just debuted its CHZZK video streaming platform, which is dedicated to game streaming.

"This MOU aims to jointly utilize the AI media technology possessed by each company to contribute to the development of the sports industry and provide customized services suitable for the AI era," the telecom firm stated. "We plan to introduce a system that automatically analyzes the frequency and exposure time of advertisements in broadcasts using AI, and automatically recognizes advertisements in the broadcast and changes them to advertisements targeting viewers."

Challenging LG Uplus and Coupang

SK Telecom's deal with Naver and Afreeca TV for sportscasting services is being seen as its attempt to go after LG Uplus and Coupang, which have both started using AI technology for their respective sports broadcasting services - and with good results.

Finally, The Korea Economic Daily reported that while SK Telecom, Naver, and Afreeca TV are obviously doing business in different industries, they share a common base in providing sportscasting services. SKT has been delivering sports-related content via its AI assistant called A dot, and Naver assembles users through its OpenTalk and live sports broadcasts. Lastly, AfreecaTV is also a significant contributor to the sports broadcasting scene.

Photo by: ASTERISK Kwon/Wikimedia Commmons(CC BY-SA 3.0)