South Korean mobile carrier LG Uplus Corp. is gaining attention with its FAST channel, a free streaming service that provides TV program-level content to viewers based on advertisements.

The channel offers real-time English dubbing for Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games overseas including North America and Europe.

“We launched a new FAST channel to live-broadcast KBO games in April 2025 and began overseas transmission,” Kim Tae-hoon, LG Uplus’ head of advertising and commerce business, said in a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper. “Among the telecom companies that operate FAST channels, LG Uplus is the first to offer a real-time broadcast channel.”

FAST is an ad-supported free streaming platform that allows viewers to watch content without subscription as long as they have a smart TV or internet access.

“The KBO is considered one of the world’s top three professional baseball leagues, alongside those in the U.S. and Japan,” Kim said. “With the real-time thrill, unpredictable developments, and Korea’s unique fan culture, we saw great potential to appeal to global audiences.”

The response was enthusiastic, with KBO games topping 1,300 concurrent viewers per minute and recording up to 250,000 daily users within just two weeks of being broadcast in over 20 countries, including North America, Europe, and Latin America.

Total viewing time on the FAST channel increased 18-fold compared to the launch period, and the average daily viewing time rose 16-fold.

The key to this success lies in a localization strategy. LG Uplus partnered with Korean AI dubbing startup Hudson AI, which provides real-time translation and voice synthesis for KBO commentary in English and Spanish.

By separating game sounds from commentary, only the commentary is translated and dubbed in real time, allowing international viewers to enjoy the game without losing excitement or immersion.

“Since Korean commentators speak in a different style and tone than those in Major League Baseball, we trained the AI to mimic the tone and expressions of MLB broadcasters so North American viewers would not feel a disconnect,” Hudson AI Chief Executive Officer Shin Hyun-jin said.

Another key partner is Castis, which provides real-time streaming technology. The company offers ultra-low latency streaming and AI-powered ad insertion.

“Since viewers are highly averse to ads, it is crucial to insert them at the right moments seamlessly,” Castis Chief Executive Officer Lee Joon-woo said. “Our AI analyzes the broadcast in real time and automatically inserts ads during inning changes, pitching swaps, and other natural breaks.”

Starting with the KBO, LG Uplus plans to expand into other sports to build a Live K-Sports Package. The company also aims to distribute a wider range of K-content - including dramas, K-pop, and YouTube creator videos - on the global stage.

LG Uplus recently signed a FAST distribution contract with Arirang TV, a strategy that aligns with the overall growth of the FAST market.

According to research firm Omdia, the global FAST market is projected to nearly double from $6.3 billion in 2023 to $12 billion in 2027.

In North America particularly, the trend of cord-cutting, or cancelling cable subscriptions, is fueling the rise of FAST as a new mode of content consumption. With the over-the-top (OTT) market almost saturated and users experiencing subscription fatigue, FAST is emerging as an appealing alternative, insiders noted.

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