World Cup Czech Match KBS Live Broadcast

The 2026 North, Central American, and Caribbean Championship kicked off on the 12th, with the South Korean national team playing their first group stage match against the Czech Republic at Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico at 11 AM that day. KBS, along with JTBC, is broadcasting this match live simultaneously, and advertisements for the Czech Republic match were completely sold out at approximately 6 billion won, with virtual advertising worth a total of 3.4 billion won also selling out early. This has already secured nearly 10 billion won in revenue, and considering the three group stage matches, revenue in the 20 billion won range is expected. KBS reportedly purchased the broadcasting rights for this World Cup from JTBC for 14 billion won.

Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO), KBS's advertising sales agency, emphasized that this achievement was accomplished by rapidly pushing forward with everything from advertising sales preparation to sales activities in just 7 weeks. Typically, advertising sales for major sporting events require a preparation period of over six months, but with KBS's participation in broadcasting confirmed in April, just over 50 days before the opening, they exceeded their goals under a tight schedule.

The advertising revenue is believed to have been influenced by virtual advertising as well as the 'hydration break,' which was introduced for the first time in this tournament. The hydration break is a three-minute period for players to hydrate and rest, given in the 22nd minute of each half, which broadcasters can utilize like a commercial break.

Furthermore, the influx of new advertisers also contributed to the increase in revenue. Advertisers who had a low proportion of terrestrial broadcasting advertising expenditure or little experience participated anew, taking advantage of the World Cup. This included industries such as luxury and healthcare, which have not had a significant presence in traditional terrestrial sports advertising. Traditional key sectors such as automobiles, finance, food and beverages, electronics, and consumer goods also actively participated.

According to a survey on the public's intention to watch the World Cup, 7 out of 10 people (68.6%) expressed their intention to watch the World Cup. TV (64.7%) was the most preferred viewing medium, and KBS (62.7%) was the most preferred channel. JTBC was preferred by 30.0%. In terms of commentator preference, KBS's Lee Young-pyo (30.4%) ranked first, with JTBC's Park Ji-sung coming in second at 13.8%.