Discovering Sports Monster in Seoul on a South Korea study trip

What is Sports Monster ?

Sports Monster is a game and sports experience center that opened in South Korea in 2016. These venues are all indoors and offer a blend of 30 on- and off-screen sports activities. Whether you are in for a good sweat or a more recreational approach, there are many options to ensure you have a great time!

The reasons behind its success.

Western sports – the most popular sport in Korea is soccer, followed by baseball. Hence, it is not surprising to find them in venues like Sports Monster. But you can also find a shooting range, a taekwondo dojang, an archery range, basketball courts, trampolines and much more.

Accessibility is a key part of Sports Monster’s success. While most outdoor sports centers are located in the surrounding area of a city due to the surface area required, Sports Monster has developed a 100% indoor approach that enables facilities to be created within major Korean cities.

Moreover, they made the choice to establish some of their branches inside shopping centers. This enables parents to leave their children to play while they shop for groceries, or lets adults go to a “bang” (in Korea, bangs are places where people gather to enjoy an event as a form of collective entertainment). Whether it is through walk-ins or planned visits, there are plenty of occasions to visit one of these entertainment centers.

E-sports activities are booming in South Korea (50% increase between 2013-2017) and are even considered by younger generations as a real sport. Over 18 million Koreans (the population of South Korea is estimated to be around 50 million people) play video games. Sports Monster has made the understanding and exploitation of this trend one of the keys to its success.

Discovering the Goyang-si site…

On May 17th, during their one-month study trip in Seoul, our GSBM 1 (Global Sports Business Master) students had the opportunity to spend 2 hours at the Goyang-si venue. They enjoyed the large variety of sports activities, which was a great occasion for them to practice some sports for the very first time.

After the session, they attended a lecture given by the marketing director of Sports Monster. This prestigious guest speaker explained the reasons behind the success of Sports Monster, the marketing strategies implemented, and told them about the future in terms of international development.

The next step is for our students to prepare a business plan to determine when and where a company like Sports Monster should create its first European venue. To be continued…