Rebranding from 'Olleh TV' to 'Genie TV' after 11 Years
Olleh TV Mobile Also Discontinued
Expanding IPTV into an Integrated Content Platform
Aiming for an 'AI Media Portal'
[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] KT is undergoing a major service transformation by rebranding its 'Olleh TV' brand, which has been maintained for 11 years, to 'Genie TV.' 'Olleh TV Mobile,' which had only survived in name due to competition from 'Season,' will also disappear into history.
According to industry sources on the 27th, KT will terminate the Olleh TV Mobile tablet application (app) at midnight on the 28th. Olleh TV Mobile has served as a second service position for the IPTV service Olleh TV, aiming to provide a multi-screen function connecting IPTV and mobile. Since the launch of 'Season' in 2019, it had only been maintained nominally for customer convenience, but it is now entering the final stage of service termination in line with the overall media brand restructuring.
Olleh TV Mobile's position has been narrowed since KT launched the OTT-specialized Season app in November 2019. As Season took charge of related content services such as video on demand (VOD), Olleh TV Mobile only provided limited functions like some VOD and IPTV 'continue watching.' With this service termination, even these functions will be transferred to Season.
However, since KT Season, the operator of Season, is scheduled to be merged into CJ ENM-affiliated TVING on December 1 this year, it is uncertain whether KT's original functions will be maintained. As 'Season' will be added to the OTT platform 'TVING,' it is highly likely that the overall platform direction will be decided by TVING. KT also operates the 'Genie TV Play' app as a mobile remote control concept, but currently, it only supports connecting to IPTV or Season when selecting VOD. Both KT and TVING are reportedly still considering the platform direction.
Earlier this month, KT officially announced at a briefing that it would change the existing media brand name from Olleh TV to Genie and expand it into an integrated content platform aiming to be an 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) Media Portal.' This rebranding is the first in about 11 years since the start of 'Olleh Management' under former Chairman Lee Seok-chae in 2009.
Meanwhile, KT is also upgrading its IPTV to match the new name Genie TV. The concept is a 'media portal to enjoy all content,' providing AI curation and recommendation functions. In early 2023, the TVING service will also be included. The media portal functions will be available after set-top box replacement or upgrade, and the set-top box upgrades for existing IPTV customers will be carried out sequentially from October this year through next year.
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