YouTube Channel 'Scryke' Launched by Oh Kyung-sik, Head of SK Telecom Sports Marketing Group
Surpasses 3.5 Million Views with Unique Items Focused on SK-Operated Teams and Sponsored Athletes
Strengthening Connections with Younger Audiences... Consulting New Marketing Strategies for Post-Corona Era
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] An esports star Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok) and professional basketball player Choi Jun-yong (SK Knights) face off in a game... You can watch this unique matchup on 'SKLIKE,' a comprehensive sports YouTube channel operated by SK Telecom. This is a League of Legends (LoL) event match featuring pro gamers from the esports company T1, including Faker, Effort (Lee Sang-ho), Teddy (Park Jin-sung), and five basketball players from SK Knights. The clash between renowned athletes active in different fields has attracted great attention, recording 730,000 views on YouTube.
The SKLIKE channel was planned under the leadership of Oh Kyung-sik, head of SK Telecom's Sports Marketing Group. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 30th, Oh said, "Esports is rapidly growing in scale, centered on global markets such as the United States and China, and it has a substantial fan base as a mainstream online culture in Korea as well," adding, "To strengthen connections with the younger generation, we launched the YouTube channel aiming for new media marketing using sports content preferred by them."
This channel features not only esports but also unique matchups involving teams and players operated or sponsored by SK-affiliated companies in baseball, soccer, basketball, handball, ice skating, fencing, golf, and more. For example, professional baseball players and female professional golfers compete in an 80-meter approach contest at a baseball stadium using bats and clubs respectively, or basketball stars join amateur games to challenge set criteria such as double-digit points, rebounds, and assists.
With this concept, the channel surpassed 7,500 subscribers and 3.5 million cumulative views within nine months since its launch in January. SK Telecom accumulates 1 KRW per view and adds group sponsorship to support sports infrastructure improvement projects for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Oh emphasized, "Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), face-to-face activities have been restricted, and it is time for fundamental changes in existing sports marketing, which has been centered on stadium attendance." To implement this, consulting work in collaboration with external experts is underway, with specific outlines expected by the end of the year.
Oh hinted, "We are also considering providing opportunities for the younger generation aspiring to sports marketing to gain work experience in related fields or for the silver generation to assist with guidance at stadiums." There is also a goal to expand revenue sources by enhancing the competitiveness of immersive content such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), or video content utilizing sports like the SKLIKE channel.
Oh has been involved in SK sports teams for nearly 20 years, including designing the founding process of T1 and managing the baseball and basketball team offices. He currently serves as the general manager of SK Knights. A sports enthusiast who was fascinated by American football through broadcasts, he entered Yonsei University Law School and also played as a football player. He said, "When the sports teams perform well, members feel proud and there is great interest in popular players," adding, "I hope sports marketing plays a central role in realizing a corporate culture that pursues the 'happiness' of members and society."
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