[Zoom In] The Roar of Lee Chunsu and Yoon Doojoon... World Cup Content Heats Up

Popular YouTube Live Content
Lee Cheon-su, Yoon Doo-joon, Lee Kyung-kyu 'World Cup Effect'

Photo by YouTube channel 'Richunsu [Lee Cheonsu]' screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] The ways to enjoy soccer matches have diversified. Enjoyment doubles when shared. The same goes for sports games. In the past, people used to wear colorful red T-shirts and shout "Daehanminguk" (Republic of Korea) at the top of their lungs on the streets. The 2022 Qatar World Cup is different. More people are sharing moments of joy together through YouTube.

Previously, major broadcasters competed to air entertainment programs featuring celebrities cheering at stadiums, but this year such programs are hard to find. Famous stars are cheering for the 2022 Qatar World Cup on their own YouTube channels. They are gaining attention by presenting real-time content of watching the matches. After the games, they edit and upload reaction videos, attracting interest through social networking services (SNS).

The video of Highlight group members Yoon Doojoon, Lee Gikwang, and Yang Yoseop, known as soccer enthusiasts, watching the 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage match between South Korea and Uruguay in real time has gained popularity with nearly 460,000 views. Especially, Yoon Doojoon attracted attention with his vivid reactions and sharing of information and empathy about the history of the World Cup and soccer.

The Lee Cheonsu channel, operated by former soccer player Lee Cheonsu, is also popular. Lee Cheonsu watched the World Cup matches with seniors and juniors who once played on the field together, such as Lee Eulyong, Kim Yongdae, Lee Geunho, and Kim Bokyung. His sharp analysis of the juniors' games and warm advice as a senior received positive responses. Notably, a video of him crying out and cheering after South Korea's advancement to the round of 16 was confirmed following the Portugal match on the 3rd recorded 474 views and attracted attention.

Broadcaster Lee Kyungkyu went to YouTube instead of Qatar. From 1998 to 2014, he hosted "Lee Kyungkyu Goes" at the local stadiums for all World Cups, but this year he is presenting content titled "Kyungkyu Goes" on his YouTube channel. He revealed footage of watching the group stage match against Uruguay live on site and roaming around various places. For the Portugal match, he cheered in Seoul with broadcaster Kim Hwan and FC Seoul coach Kim Jinkyu. The video of the Portugal match filled with cheers and sighs surpassed 360,000 views.

Photo by YouTube channel 'Lightnite' screen capture

Photo by YouTube channel 'Hongmaneul Studio' screenshot

Due to this atmosphere, the three major broadcasters have also started producing sports and entertainment content on their YouTube channels, including vlogs of commentators and behind-the-scenes stories from the IBC broadcast center. SBS presents "LIVE After Talk," where caster Bae Seongjae and commentators Park Jisung and Lee Seungwoo freely share post-game stories on their YouTube channel after matches. Unlike the refined language required in live broadcasts, they candidly exchange honest opinions. After the Portugal match, the number of simultaneous viewers exceeded 80,000, sharing the "Miracle of Doha" together. MBC is also gaining popularity by offering sports content showing caster Kim Sungjoo and commentator Ahn Junghwan preparing for broadcasts, as well as the entertainment show "Ahn Junghwan's Hidden Qatar" on their YouTube channel.

A broadcasting official said, "YouTube cannot use World Cup broadcast footage, so they started live streaming real-time match commentary. Previously, online broadcasters specializing in soccer matches, such as AfreecaTV, formed fandoms and were loved, but later famous celebrities created their own channels and presented soccer content for the World Cup, attracting more viewers. This has created an atmosphere where more people are interested."

The official added, "In the past, during the World Cup boom, terrestrial broadcasters and cable channels competed to hire stars and plan on-site filming, but it was costly and difficult to proceed with filming. Nowadays, with content consumed quickly, editing recorded footage and broadcasting it takes considerable effort. The available budget is also different from the past, so the production flow has realistically changed."

He continued, "Sportainers (sports + entertainers) who possess expertise, star power, and wit skillfully operate their own channels and enjoy the World Cup boom. Through broadcasting experience, they have a high understanding of viewer-preferred content and attract viewers based on their soccer knowledge and match experience." He added, "Secondary content reprocessed after matches is gaining popularity mainly on SNS, steadily bringing new viewers to the channels."

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