SOOP is acquiring the AI Peppers women's professional volleyball team and is moving to expand its business by combining live streaming with sports content production capabilities.

SOOP said on May 18 it has decided to acquire the AI Peppers women's professional volleyball team.

The decision is intended to support the stable operation of the women's professional volleyball league while linking SOOP's accumulated capabilities in sports broadcasting and content production to club operations to create a new foundation for growth.

SOOP has worked with associations and federations across a range of sports to build broadcast environments, host tournaments and produce related content. It has developed sports broadcasting as one pillar of its content business, rather than limiting it to simple transmission. It has created a format that connects stories before and after matches with highlights and replay content. The company said it will actively use that experience in the professional volleyball team as well.

Experience running an e-sports team was also cited as background. SOOP has know-how across player management, player development and fan communities through its own e-sports team. Based on that, it plans to demonstrate team management capabilities in the professional volleyball team and raise both on-court performance and content competitiveness.

SOOP also plans to apply the strengths of its live streaming platform to the club by incorporating real-time communication and content scalability. It will focus on expanding points of contact between fans and the club in and out of matches, considering the characteristics of professional volleyball, which has strong local fan loyalty and a strong culture of attending games in person. The club will be operated by SOOP TV, a SOOP subsidiary.

A SOOP official said the acquisition of AI Peppers is an important opportunity to expand SOOP's sports business to the next level. The official said SOOP will work to ensure stable club operations and create meaningful value for fans and the local community, based on its experience in producing sports content and its e-sports team know-how.