Hana Financial Group said on Sunday that an AI audio broadcast service for visually impaired people, 'Alive CAST', which it 추진ed together with K League Assist Foundation, won the Entertainment and Design category at the 2026 Edison Awards.

The Edison Awards are a global awards programme that comprehensively evaluates product and service innovation, human-centred design, marketability and social impact, and are recognised as authoritative in the field of technological innovation.

The group said the award is meaningful because it reflects international recognition of efforts to create an environment in which anyone, including visually impaired people, can enjoy watching sports, beyond a simple technological achievement.

Alive CAST is an audio broadcast service designed to help visually impaired spectators experience football matches more vividly inside stadiums. It delivers key moments in real time and conveys the flow of the match and the on-site atmosphere in a multi-dimensional way.

The first case in South Korea of applying an AI audio broadcast service at an actual professional sports stadium is being assessed as an attempt to improve accessibility to sports viewing.

The service was piloted at a K League1 match held at Daejeon World Cup Stadium in November last year. Positive reactions followed as experiences were shared of visually impaired spectators watching the match independently using the service.

Hana Financial plans to officially operate the service at Daejeon World Cup Stadium by the end of May and to expand it from July to venues including Suwon World Cup Stadium and Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The result is an extension of the 'Football Stadium for Everyone, K League for Everyone' campaign that it has promoted with the K League since 2020. The two sides have continued to improve accessibility to sports by producing guidance maps for people with mobility difficulties and running an integrated football programme.

A Hana Financial official said, "This award is the result of recognition for efforts to create a viewing environment in which no one is left out," adding, "We will continue to work to build an inclusive sports environment that people with and without disabilities can enjoy together."