SK Telecom and Kakao VX Unveil 'Metaverse Live Golf Broadcast' for the First Time

Introduction of Korea's First Metaverse Broadcast at the 'SK Telecom Open 2021' Tournament Held in June

(From left) Sangwon Lee, Head of Kakao VX Group; Jongsuk Lee, Director of Kakao VX; Jaekwang Lee, Head of SKT Media Business Support Group; Kyungsik Oh, Head of SKT Sports Marketing Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] SK Telecom announced on the 20th that it will jointly develop metaverse golf broadcasting technology with Kakao VX by utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) media and 3D graphic technology.

The two companies plan to introduce metaverse broadcasting, which combines virtual and reality, at the 'SK Telecom Open 2021' held at Pinx Golf Course in Jeju Island on July 10. Through this agreement, SK Telecom will provide all real-time data related to the tournament, including course information, strokes, and distance for players, while Kakao VX will represent the data graphically by linking the golf course 3D data map with real-time and measured data.

This metaverse broadcasting method displays various data such as ball landing points, ball trajectory, distance, remaining distance, and shot distribution on a virtual 3D course familiar to screen golf enthusiasts. The metaverse broadcast will be showcased on three holes: the 7th, 13th, and 18th, and plans to use radar technology to vividly show the player's tee shot trajectory in a virtual space. Especially on the final hole, AI will predict players' putting lines, adding enjoyment by comparing them with the actual players' putts.

The tournament broadcast will also introduce 'AI Highlights' technology, which recognizes individual players and automatically edits and displays key scenes by player and hole in real time, and 'audio separation technology' that removes on-site noise within the golf course to enhance immersion and presence.

Jae-kwang Lee, Head of SK Telecom Media Business Support Group, said, "With the possibility of live golf broadcasting using metaverse and AI, in the near future, various interactions between professional golfers at the competition site and golf enthusiasts at screen golf venues will be possible, such as joint games."

Jong-seok Lee, Director of Kakao VX, said, "Through this partnership with SK Telecom, Kakao VX has been able to expand its sports digital transformation efforts and challenge new broadcasting services," adding, "We will present a new paradigm of sports broadcasting by showcasing a metaverse broadcasting system that integrates Kakao VX's technology in the future."

The tournament will be broadcast live on the JTBC Golf Channel from 11 a.m. on June 10, and after each round, various game contents not shown in the tournament broadcast will be aired on the 'Magazine Program Review Show.' All video clips of this tournament, produced using AI technology and featuring key scenes from past SKT Open tournaments, can also be viewed through SK Broadband IPTV and mobile Btv.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.