[Content Commerce] "100 Million Won in First Broadcast Sales"... IstarTV's True Soccer Fan Fashion Items

Eastar TV Launches Official Brand 'Claps'
First Products Include Hoodies and Fashion Items
Channel and Mall Linked via YouTube Shopping Integration
230,000 Viewers Tune into Streaming Broadcast... Sales Surpass 100 Million Won

"When working as a commentator and sports caster, the structure was such that if the broadcasting station did not secure the league broadcasting rights, I couldn't work. I thought it would be great to create our own broadcast and always present content to soccer fans regardless of the broadcasting rights, so I started YouTube."

Lee Joo-heon and Park Jong-yoon, CEOs operating the soccer-specialized YouTube channel IstarTV, are former soccer commentators and sports casters, respectively. The two CEOs began operating IstarTV in 2015, leveraging over 10 years of soccer broadcasting experience to deliver vivid and witty news from domestic and international soccer scenes. They have gained popularity by consistently uploading various soccer-related content such as entertainment and match broadcasts. IstarTV’s daily average views exceed 1 million, and the subscriber count reaches 770,000.

Lee Jooheon, CEO of Eastar TV (left), and Park Jongyun, CEO. [Photo by Eastar TV]

One of the channel’s popularity secrets is communicating with content that matches the viewers’ level. Based on the cast members’ experience in soccer communities, they incorporate trending memes and language into video content, gaining positive responses. Consistency is also a key factor. From the early days of channel operation, the number of daily uploads reached up to seven, and recently about four videos are uploaded daily. They cover a wide range of topics from overseas soccer news to entertainment content and e-sports, and organize cast members, including the crew (staff) and guests called the 'third member' by viewers, to suit the nature of each content, delivering both usefulness and fun.

Park Jong-yoon, CEO of Rapchujongyoon (IstarTV), emphasized, "Like a broadcast schedule, we uploaded content during commuting, lunch, dinner, and late-night before sleeping, and it seems viewers liked it. Based on the know-how accumulated from running the channel for a long time, we established a thorough division of labor with our staff."

In April, IstarTV launched its official brand 'CLAPS.' The brand name CLAPS contains the meaning that CEOs Lee Joo-heon and Park Jong-yoon (Lee And Park) work together (Cowork). Adding the 'S' also implicitly expresses applause. The launch of CLAPS utilized the e-commerce platform Cafe24.

The first product of CLAPS is a fashion item. Inspired by the fact that many people worry about fashion while communicating with subscribers through live streaming, they planned CLAPS products. They incorporated soccer-related images such as yellow cards and tactical boards, as well as representations of IstarTV cast members, into fashion designs like hoodies. The fashion items were designed to be comfortable to wear anytime and anywhere.

Lee Joo-heon, CEO of Eastar TV (right), and Park Jong-yoon, CEO. [Photo by Eastar TV]

CEO Park said, "We introduced the CLAPS brand to communicate with fans who really love our channel in more diverse ways," adding, "As the firmly established worldview and characters built through long-term content received good responses, I thought that connecting this to commerce could create an opportunity for 'true fans' and creators to resonate together."

In particular, the direct-to-consumer (D2C) shopping mall for CLAPS consumers and the IstarTV channel linkage have achieved results. This design allows viewers to check product information and make purchases within the content. Cafe24’s 'YouTube Shopping Integration Service' was used for channel linkage.

In April, IstarTV first introduced CLAPS during a live streaming broadcast of the English Premier League (EPL) match between Liverpool and Manchester United. When the cast members wore the products themselves and interacted with viewers, 230,000 viewers tuned in, and sales exceeded 100 million KRW in just one streaming session.

Going forward, CLAPS aims to grow into a comprehensive community that comes to mind when thinking of 'soccer.' CEO Park said, "Starting with fashion items, I want to expand the business into various areas such as products, spaces, and events that subscribers can enjoy together," adding, "I want to develop the brand into a place where people who love overseas soccer can gather offline in small groups to watch IstarTV broadcasts, eat delicious food, buy pretty clothes, and even actually play matches."