KT Skylife, HCN, and Pixellot Launch AI-Based OTT 'Hogak' in Korea

KT Skylife, HCN, and Pixellot have come together to form a strategic partnership. This collaboration, coordinated through Hogak, Pixellot’s partner in Korea, aims to transform the country’s sports broadcasting industry by utilizing advanced AI technology to enhance viewer experiences across various platforms.

The partnership seeks to bring a new era of sports broadcasting to Korea, integrating AI-driven solutions to deliver more dynamic and interactive content to audiences. Through this collaboration, the companies intend to set a new standard in how sports are viewed and experienced in the region.

The partnership aims to boost sports technology, with KT Skylife investing $4.9 million in Hogak to upgrade its technological capabilities and expand media reach. Hogak, a key player in broadcasting production, is known for producing the K4 League for the Korea Football Association (KFA) and holding exclusive rights to Pixellot’s technology in Korea.

The new platform will see Hogak extend its services by securing media rights with the Korea Volleyball Association, the Korea Handball Association, and the Korea Little League Baseball Federation. This investment will enhance KT Skylife’s and HCN’s broadcasting capabilities while supporting sports development across various levels in Korea.

Choi Young-beam, CEO of KT Skylife, commented, “We are excited to partner with Pixellot, a leading AI sports solution provider, and Hogak, which excels in amateur sports broadcasting in Korea. Our joint efforts will advance AI sports broadcasting and establish a leading AI broadcasting platform.”

The strategic goal of this initiative is to attract 320,000 subscribers within five years. This target includes 200,000 student-athletes, their families, and approximately 5 million sports enthusiasts in clubs and communities across Korea. The platform will use Pixellot’s automated camera systems to live stream sports content, providing coverage from grassroots to professional levels without traditional production teams.

The new platform will streamline the broadcasting process, making it easier to cover a wide range of sports and meet the growing demand for accessible, real-time sports content across Korea.

Hogak CEO Jeon Young-saeng expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, “Through our collaboration with SkyLife, which has been a leader in implementing advanced broadcasting technologies like UHD in Korea for over two decades, the AI-based sports OTT ‘Hogak’ is set to become Asia’s top AI sports platform. We aim to pioneer a new era in sports broadcasting with global impact.”

KT Skylife and HCN plan to integrate this innovative system across local government sports facilities, school gyms, and other public and private venues, totaling over 45,000 locations.

The initiative seeks to lower production costs significantly and broaden the scope of sports content available. Plans include storing game videos on KT Cloud’s local servers and broadcasting competitions on Skylife TV’s ENA network and HCN regional channels.