KT's 'Genie TV' Service Sees User Numbers Double After Revamp... Showcasing Business Success

GenieTV 1st Anniversary: Achievements Revealed
Content Platform as a 'Media Portal'
Improvements in Inconveniences, Enhanced OTT Convenience

Since introducing the media portal service on KT's 'Genie TV,' the number of users has doubled.

KT announced its achievements on the 12th in celebration of the first anniversary of Genie TV. In October last year, KT changed the name of its IPTV service from 'Olleh TV' to Genie TV and completely revamped the service into a media portal that allows convenient access to all content?including online video services (OTT), YouTube, live channels, video on demand (VOD), kids, and music?on a single platform.

Since the introduction of the media portal, the total number of Genie TV users has doubled compared to before.

Analyzing monthly active users (MAU) who watched streaming content via VOD and OTT on Genie TV at least once a month, the latest set-top boxes equipped with the media portal showed about twice the usage compared to set-top boxes without it.

KT played a major role by significantly improving OTT usage inconveniences and developing differentiated OTT convenience features.

Previously, to watch Netflix content, users had to press the remote control direction key 10 times, but now they can directly access Netflix by pressing the Netflix hotkey button on the remote. The number of OTT shortcut hotkey buttons has also increased to include Disney+, TVING, YouTube, and others, enhancing accessibility. Various discount plans combining IPTV and OTT fees have also been introduced.

To improve viewing convenience, a dedicated 'OTT Service' menu was created to allow users to see content from each OTT provider at a glance.

As a result, the monthly OTT usage frequency per subscriber was about three times higher on the latest set-top boxes with the media portal than on those without it.

KT also reported that by offering customized services tailored to the characteristics of various content areas such as LIVE channels and VOD, it contributed to revitalizing the PP (program provider) and CP (content provider) ecosystem.

Set-top boxes with Kidsland as the home screen had about six times more users continuing to explore kids' VOD compared to those without the recommended home screen. In the Movies, TV, and VOD section, recommending individual content matching users' preferred genres resulted in about twice the number of VOD users compared to non-recommended set-top boxes.

Going forward, KT plans to promote more active home shopping viewing by prominently featuring the dedicated home shopping menu 'Shopping Plus' in the LIVE channel section and developing various features such as interest-based product recommendations to foster win-win cooperation with home shopping operators.

KT also stated that its self-produced original content positively impacts TV usage. It has produced various genres of originals such as 'New Recruit,' 'Namnam,' 'The House with a Yard,' and 'Happiness Battle,' which are provided free to its customers.

As of this year, the total viewing time of Genie TV originals has steadily increased by about 30% monthly on average, with a sharp rise of approximately 60% in August compared to the previous month. Additionally, the number of users returning to the TV to watch original content continues to grow steadily.

Since commercializing IPTV nationwide for the first time in Korea in November 2008, KT currently has about 9.5 million subscribers and is heading toward 10 million.

Kim Hoon-bae, Executive Vice President and Head of KT Media Platform Business Division, said, "KT will establish itself as a 'platform of platforms,' contribute to revitalizing the domestic media ecosystem, provide services that customers want, and continue to create a unique experience exclusive to Genie TV."