"Strike While the Iron Is Hot"... 'ENA' Covers Yeouido

ENA Variety and Drama Displayed on Yeouido Panorama Road
Multiple Original Variety and Drama Shows in Preparation
Star PDs' Variety Works Scheduled for Release in First Half
Parent Company of SkyTV Sees 50% Revenue Increase Year-on-Year in Q3

On the 22nd, advertisements related to the KT Group's own channel ENA drama "Unlock the CEO" were displayed at a large shopping mall in Yeouido, Seoul, and the subway connecting passage.

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] 'Unlock the CEO', 'I Don’t Want to Do Anything', 'Hyoja Village', 'I Am Solo'

KT Group’s own channel, ENA, along with its drama and entertainment content, has covered the path leading to Yeouido IFC Mall, known as the "playground for the MZ generation (Millennials + Gen Z)." KT has solidified the ENA brand by giving channel 1 on Genie TV (formerly Olleh TV) to ENA and covering the entire large connecting corridor in Yeouido with content advertisements. Next year, they plan to strengthen their entertainment lineup through collaboration with a team of star PDs.

According to industry sources on the 23rd, KT Group and Skylife TV (Sky TV) have placed outdoor advertisements for the ENA brand and related content along the 200-meter-long Yeouido Panorama Road, which connects IFC Mall, The Hyundai Seoul, and the Park One building. Targeting the 20-40 age group concentrated in this area, they plan to sequentially execute outdoor advertisements at multiple hubs beyond Yeouido. Although content advertisements have been run every year at year-end, this year is busier than usual due to an increasing number of upcoming works.

KT Group is empowering its own channel ENA as the forefront of its content distribution. In May, ENA was assigned channel 1 on the satellite broadcaster Skylife, and in August, it was moved from channel 29 to channel 1 on IPTV Olleh TV (now Genie TV). This move aims to strengthen the content value chain.

On the 22nd, an advertisement related to the ENA variety show 'Hyojachon' is displayed at a large shopping mall in Yeouido, Seoul, and the subway connecting passage.

ENA has scored consecutive hits this year with the drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" and reality entertainment shows such as "I Am Solo" (co-produced with SBS Plus) and "Steel Troops" (co-produced with Channel A). This success is seen as a result of accumulated content production experience. Since 2018, ENA has launched a total of 60 original program titles. According to the Q3 earnings report, the number of intellectual properties (IPs) secured up to 2022 reached 29.

Next year, ENA plans to present various entertainment works in collaboration with star PDs. Kim Tae-ho, formerly of "Infinite Challenge," plans to release "Throwing into the World, Blue Marble World Tour" in the first half of next year. They are also preparing an observational entertainment show with Seo Hye-jin PD, who led the trot music wave in Korea. Nam Kyu-hong PD, who directed "I Am Solo," will present "Hyoja Village," and Yeo Woon-hyuk PD, known for "Knowing Bros," will introduce "Myeongdong Sarangbang." Jang Hyuk-jae PD of "Running Man" is preparing "Oh Eun-young Game" with Dr. Oh Eun-young.

ENA’s own entertainment lineup for next year includes a spin-off entertainment show using the intellectual property (IP) of the drama "New Recruit," the K-game project "I Am Ground," and "Haha Bus," a healing trip with broadcaster Haha’s family. The drama lineup being prepared with KT Studio Genie includes "I Don’t Want to Do Anything," "Unlock the CEO," "Delivery Man," "Paper Moon," "Look! Deborah," "Oh! Youngshim," "Happiness Battle," and "I Have Waited for You for a Long Time."

The media and content business was originally considered a "barren land" in the telecommunications industry. It was regarded as a representative field requiring persistent dedication, making it difficult for a CEO with a three-year term to devote their life to it. However, KT CEO Koo Hyun-mo has continuously supported the business by positioning KT Studio Genie as the control tower since his inauguration.

Following the success of ENA’s flagship work "Woo Young-woo," media content sales have also been on the rise. KT Skylife, the parent company of Sky TV, recorded revenue of 268.1 billion KRW in Q3, a 50.3% increase from the previous year. This strong performance was driven by the expansion of MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) and internet resale businesses, as well as growth in content business centered on Sky TV. During the same period, revenue from KT Studio Genie affiliates and content subsidiaries such as Nasmedia grew 24.7% year-on-year to 301.2 billion KRW.

Internally, expectations for next year are high. At the media day event in April this year, KT Group announced plans to make 2022 the inaugural year for media and content business growth and to accelerate original content production and distribution, aiming to grow ENA into a brand worth 1 trillion KRW by 2025. Yoon Yong-pil, CEO of Sky TV, recently stated while announcing the content lineup, "If 2022 was the year to lay the foundation, 2023 will be the year to translate that into long-term results, expanding advertising revenue and the ENA brand."