LG Electronics (LG) is expanding its free content streaming service, LG Channels, to provide owners of its smart TVs in key markets with even more premium entertainment to enjoy at home. The expanded service will offer an impressive selection of viewing options to choose from, including a wealth of new, free content covering all things Korean (“K-content”) via LG's partnership with digital content and platform distribution company, NEW ID, a subsidiary of NEXT ENTERTAINMENT WORLD (NEW), a major entertainment, media, and sports powerhouse in South Korea.
Starting this month, LG Smart TV owners in Europe will be the first to enjoy free channels such as YG TV with exclusive content from YG Entertainment, home to many big-name musical talents such as Blackpink, G-Dragon, Taeyang and Winner. Foodies can watch mouthwatering South Korean content on muKbang TV, Mubeat offers up endless music videos and karaoke while Billiards TV will keep fans of the sport wanting more. As the one-stop shop for all K-content, LG Channels' expanded offerings will be coming to even more regions and customers in the months ahead.
“We are proud to bring the newest and highest quality Korean content to the European audience via the frontrunner in the current global TV market, LG Smart TV,” said Kim Woo-taek, chairman and CEO of NEW. “As the only entertainment provider in Asia that is integrating K-content with an innovative free ad-supported streaming TV platform, NEW ID is planning to actively expand its services and digital channels to more continents.”
The new K-content will begin rolling out in select markets to LG 2019 TVs with webOS 4.5 beginning this month. Customers with LG smart TVs running webOS versions 3.0 through 4.0 will see the service before the end of the year while webOS 5.0 TVs and LG TV owners in even more countries will receive the service in 2021.
“LG Channels offers premium digital content and multi-broadcast channels together with a diverse array of quality content choices available free-of-charge on LG Smart TVs in US, Canada, Europe and Latin America,” said Lee Sang-woo, senior vice president of content service business at LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “Easy to access and discover, the newly expanded content to European markets builds on LG's objective to diversify content based on evolving trends.”
LG is growing its premium content service in response to the recent increase in TV viewership and the rapid rise in LG Channels' audience worldwide. Launched last year in Europe, LG Channels was initially rolled out in Korea, the U.S. and Canada and later expanded to countries throughout Europe and South America.
