Even in YouTube’s boom era, 1 million subscribers remains a special milestone. In a flood of content, it takes a “differentiated value” that holds viewers’ eyes and ears to turn into subscriptions. That is why YouTube congratulates success by giving a “gold button” to channels with 1 million subscribers.

Hello Life, operated by LG HelloVision, has won a gold button as the first YouTube channel run by a pay-TV operator. It drew subscribers by offering existing cable TV content as well as YouTube original content. Local, region-based content that leverages cable TV’s strengths also helped it reach 1 million.

Noh Eulbit, head of LG HelloVision’s online production team, told DigitalToday that the key to growth was content “editing” and “scheduling” tailored to YouTube’s rules. He said, “At first, it was closer to a supporting role of uploading TV content to YouTube.” He added, “We often uploaded a full one-hour episode as-is or posted sporadically.”

Hello Life’s subscriber count began to grow in earnest from 2022. Subscribers, at around 100,000 on Oct. 10, 2021, reached 500,000 in November 2023. It exceeded 1 million in November last year, 2 years later. Changing its editing style after starting full-scale efforts to expand on YouTube proved effective. It drew subscribers by prominently showing the most entertaining scenes and adding subtitle designs that let viewers immediately see what the video is about.

Noh said, “On YouTube, you have to quickly capture the fleeting attention of subscribers on smartphones.” He added, “We edit so the main or key scenes are visible and so viewers can tell what the video is within 5 seconds.”

The upload strategy also changed. Noh judged that it is difficult to be chosen by the algorithm by competing solely on the volume of content. He said, “Regular uploads are important.” He added, “It seems to have worked that we kept upload time slots like TV scheduling.”

It also stands out that many high-viewership videos are stories about “neighbors.” It is a competitive edge only cable TV can have. Content featuring mostly ordinary people, such as “Jang Yoon-jung’s Dojangkkaegi,” “Taegun Singing Contest” and “Eye-Catching Women,” gained popularity. “Hodong’s Camping Zone: Pick One” and “Our Neighborhood Class” also helped growth based on locality and mass appeal.

LG HelloVision also introduced original content for YouTube. It did so to keep up the growth trend by sourcing new content. It drew subscribers with content focusing on a fast pace and fun, such as “Gwangilbyeong” and “Jwirakpyeorak.”

In particular, original content can also help company revenue through sponsorship such as product placement. LG HelloVision currently handles most production with in-house staff, except for some outsourced filming. Noh said, “We will continue producing original content while also considering channel branding and monetisation.”

Some also see that a pay-TV operator’s success on YouTube cannot be viewed only positively. As YouTube grows, the presence of the main channel could weaken relatively. Park Hyun-woo (박현우), head of the content business office who oversees Hello Life’s production, described this as a one source multi use (OSMU) strategy. He said, “Even with the same content, you never know where the response will come from.” He added, “The flow of uploading one piece of content to multiple platforms is a natural phenomenon.”

Even in the OTT market, various platforms such as Netflix, Tving and Wavve coexist. There are many cases where the same work becomes a hit in one place but does not get as much response as expected elsewhere. The same applies to YouTube. It can be a channel to promote cable TV content and an experimental stage to test new formats.

LG HelloVision will diversify its YouTube channel portfolio this year, with Hello Life as the central axis. It will further strengthen “Make Me Glow,” which features beauty and medical content, and “Studio Holjjak,” which focuses on original content. Noh said, “This year, we plan to provide content planned in more detail to match each channel’s identity.”

Make Me Glow, in particular, also targets overseas viewers. Noh judged that as interest in K-beauty is high, there is a strong possibility of attracting foreign viewers. Noh said the Make Me Glow channel plans to make multilingual subtitles mandatory for uploads this year.

LG HelloVision is also aiming to reach 1.2 million Hello Life subscribers this year. It will gradually expand the use of AI technology. LG HelloVision already has experience applying AI-based images to some content promotional materials. It plans to broaden the scope of use as AI can also help cut production costs.

Park said, “By adding original content with a digital sensibility to the credibility of existing local channels, we will be reborn as a comprehensive media platform that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.”