SKT to provide first 5G live TV sports broadcast

SK Telecom has revealed plans to offer the world’s first live TV sports broadcast using a 5G network for the SK Telecom Open 2019 golf tournament.

The tournament, which will be held as part of the KPGA Korean Tour, will be live broadcast on JTBC’s dedicated Golf TV channel and OTT video service oksuku using SK Telecom’s 5G network.

The tournament, which commences today, will be broadcast live for selected areas using 5G coverage deployed for the third, fourth and ninth holes of the course.

The company will also temporarily create a special section on the oksuku OTT platform to offer 5G-based live streaming and related video clips of the golf tournament.

“As 5G-based live broadcasting is subject to no physical constraints, it can be widely utilized in areas including sporting events and on-site news reports,” SK Telecom VP and head of 5GX media business group Kim Hyuk said.

“SK Telecom will continue to work closely with broadcasting networks to contribute to the advancement of the broadcasting system through 5G technologies.”

The agreement follows soon after SK Telecom signed agreements with South Korea’s top three terrestrial television broadcasters to jointly develop a live broadcasting system based on the operator’s 5G network.