Mobile Video

Leap offers mobile video for $5 per month

Sue Marek — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:17:49 -0400

Leap Wireless has added flat-rate mobile video to its content portfolio. For $5 per month, Cricket subscribers can view one- to four-minute streamed video clips on their handsets. The content, which comes from partners GoTV, Fuel, 5280 Mobile and others includes music, sports and animation.

The $5 per month fee included unlimited video and can be added to any Cricket account. Cricket users can also trial the service on select handsets that have a WAP-enabled browser.

For more:
- See this article

Related articles:
Leap inks content agreement with Fox Interactive
Leap adds 171K new subs

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Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:50 -0400

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Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

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Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

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ROK drops bid to acquire MVNO Xero Mobile

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:59:57 -0500

For the past 14 months MVNO Xero Mobile has planned to launch mobile services in the U.S. that were either free or cheap because of ad-support, but no services were ever launched. Recently ROK Entertainment announced its intent to acquire the MVNO, but the company has now dropped its bid on the MVNO. ROK is a U.K.-based mobile media company centered on on-demand mobile video.

For more on the fate of Xero:
- read this press release from ROK

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Weather Channel Goes Direct With Video

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 16:02:41 -0400

The Weather Channel is teaming with Vantrix to launch a new mobile video application through the Weather Channel mobile Website. Unlike its on-portal video offered through wireless operators, this service will allow users access to video forecasts, travel weather reports and other weather-related news stories off deck. Initially the service will be available in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta. By year-end it will be available in 100 cities.

To access the service, users need an embedded player on their handset. VantrixÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s service can automatically determine whether a user has an appropriate handset. According to Traci Van Deventer, director, mobile products at The Weather Channel Interactive, this is the first direct-to-consumer video play for the company. The service is ad-supported and free to the end user.

Louis Gump, vice president of mobile for The Weather Channel Interactive, said this service may help drive more video on the mobile Web because consumers will see the value and relevance in mobile video. Ã¢â‚¬Å“Consumer awareness is still a big barrier,Ã¢â‚¬Â Gump says.

Mobile Entertainment: Let advertising drive adoption

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

You know how on Super Bowl Sunday people talk more about the commercials more than the on-field action? Expect CTIA I.T. Wireless & Entertainment 2007 to unfold pretty much the same way. With so many mobile video, music and gaming deals already in place and virtually every major content player in the mix, the burning question now is the role that advertising support will play, said Eric Berger, vice president of mobile entertainment for Sony Pictures Television.

"Data fees are still pretty high for mobile TV services, so everyone is looking at alternative models to bring fees down and spur consumer adoption," Berger said. "The industry is exploring ad support for both specific pieces of content and data platforms as a whole, and looking at whether and how to bring subscriber costs down with ads. The challenge is triangulating the demands of consumers, content owners, advertisers and carriers all together."

Despite the overwhelming volume of content now available to mobile subscribers, providers are still rolling out new services and platforms as well. Berger said Sony Pictures Television will introduce at CTIA two new networks in conjunction with an as-yet-unannounced carrier deal, while Island Def Jam Music Group and mobile multimedia provider mSpot will descend on San Francisco to launch IDJ Radio, a new urban-themed streaming music and on-demand video subscription service.

mSpot, Nokia and Island Def Jam will use next week's conference to showcase some innovative new technology during a party hosted by the three companies on Oct. 23 at Ruby Skye nightclub. Invitees will receive a barcode via SMS to their handset before the event. That barcode will then be scanned and used to gain admittance. Kamar Shah, global head of industry marketing at Nokia said that the company will be displaying its Internet Tablet, the N810 at the party to show people its MOSH mobile sharing service. Nokia also will have a film crew following Def Jam entertainer Ne-Yo, who will be performing at the party, and it will upload that live streaming content to the MOSH site.

On the gaming front, expect to hear lots at CTIA IT about the continued transformation of device makers into content providers. With its recent entry into the digital music download business, the resurrection of its N-Gage gaming platform and the debut of its Ovi web services portal, handset giant Nokia is brokering more deals than Howie Mandel, and emerging as a major player in mobile multimedia. And, of course, this CTIA represents the first major industry event where Apple's iPhone is actually in the hands of mobile execs and mobile consumers alike--for such a small device, it promises to cast a large shadow across the convention floor. -Jason

Alltel goes on demand with Axcess TV

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 06:59:54 -0400

Taking a cue from Verizon Wireless' V CAST on demand video service, Alltel Wireless today announced Axcess TV On Demand, a new service that expands the operator's existing on-demand mobile video package and includes more than 200 on-demand video clips.

Axcess TV On Demand includes content from FOXSports.com, Discovery Mobile, and MTV Networks' MTV, VH1 and Comedy Central. The service is priced at $3.99 per month. For an additional $5.99 per month, Alltel customers can get a premium tier package that features programming from NBC Sports, IGN Entertainment, BravoToGo and USA Mobile.

For more on Axcess TV:
- read this press release

Alltel subs get Internet video hookup

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 06:59:55 -0400

Mobile video service provider mywaves announced its first North American carrier partnership with Alltel Wireless. mywaves's 10,000-channel mobile broadcasting service routes video streams from the Internet to mobile handsets--Alltel subscribers are required to download the application via the operator's Axcess Shop and customize content according to genres including comedy, sports, health, business, music, technology and more. mywaves content spans professional programming, user-generated videos and personal videos as well as enables users to bookmark favorite sites in order to efficiently view new content as it is added; Alltel customers may also receive text alerts when new clips are available on favorite channels.

Alltel will initially launch mywaves on handsets including the LG AX8600, Motorola RAZR V3m, V3c, KRZR K1m and e815, and the Samsung u520. Additional devices will be added in coming months. mywaves cost: $3.99 per month. "Our customers now have more video viewing options than ever before," said Alltel data services director Scott Moody in a prepared statement. "mywaves gives us the ability to deliver thousands of videos directly to our customers, allowing them to further customize their wireless experience."

For more on the Alltel/mywaves deal:
- read this release

PLUS: Verizon Wireless inks another exclusive deal with YouTube to let users upload video from Verizon phones. Release

Related articles:
- mywaves expands mobile video service
- Alltel inks deal with NBC Universal
- Alltel debuts Axcess TV en Español