TikTok is hosting Korea's first live agency competition in partnership with Kakao Friends.
TikTok announced Wednesday it will hold the "Agency Championship with Kakao Friends" from March 2 to 15. Live creators participating in the championship will accumulate points through broadcast hours and diamonds (virtual gift items), competing against creators from the same agency. The platform will then calculate aggregate scores for each agency based on creator performance, determining the final winning agency through preliminary and final rounds. This marks the first inter-agency live competition held in Korea.
The event was designed to invigorate the live content ecosystem and establish a foundation for sustainable growth through a structure that engages creators, agencies, and viewers together. TikTok plans to expand agencies' live operation experience through various participatory programs while simultaneously promoting creative activities and community engagement.
During the event period, the "like" icon in TikTok Live will feature "Apeach," one of Kakao Friends' signature characters, on participating creators' live content, adding an element of fun to broadcasting and viewing experiences. Additionally, an Apeach filter challenge will encourage participating creators to produce short-form content, expanding the link between live and short-form formats to broaden content activity areas.
The championship is divided into five leagues based on agency size: Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Rising Star. Winning agencies in each league will receive various benefits including Kakao Friends special merchandise packages, promotional coupons, and creator recruitment cards. Winners of the Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze leagues will also receive outdoor advertising exposure at Samsung Station in Seoul in April.
TikTok Live currently operates in 150 countries. It provides features enabling creators and global viewers to communicate in real-time without barriers through subtitle translation functions. Supporting various content formats, the platform is creating new content through collaboration with live agencies and expanding the creative potential of Korean IP within the TikTok Live ecosystem through partnerships across diverse industries, delivering richer cultural experiences to global users.