WWE Wrestles AT&T Mobile Deal
World Wrestling Entertainment Content Will Include Video Clips, Ring Tones
By R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 3/8/2007 10:53:00 AM
AT&T Mobile users, get ready: Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment are coming to your cell phone.
Beginning Thursday, WWE will offer video clips, ring tones and other content via AT&T’s mobile-phone platform as part of a multiyear distribution deal between the two parties.
The deal is the WWE’s first in the burgeoning mobile-video market, and it will complement the organization’s various cable, broadband-video, subscription-video-on-demand and pay-per-view services. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"This is the perfect marriage between content and technology,” WWE executive vice president of global media Shane McMahon said. “We wanted to find a strong partner who is going to be there for long term; not just on the cutting edge on new technology, but on the bleeding edge.”
For AT&T, which has a video-distribution deal with HBO, the deal provides its subscribers access to a custom-built, mobile Internet WWE portal that will provide access to WWE’s vast library of content, according to McMahon.
“We have a very high penetration of young, male viewers and, based on some of the other content that has worked for us, we feel that it’ll be a perfect fit,” AT&T executive director of media innovations Jordan Berman said. “We see the WWE as another crown jewel in our exclusive content offering.”
WWE will make available to 61 million AT&T customers more than 100 video clips per month as part of AT&T Mobile's $19.95 monthly Cingular Video package. In addition, AT&T will offer a special $4.95-per-month WWE subscription package that will feature mobile-exclusive content, representatives from both parties said.
WWE ring tones and voice tones will sell for $2.49 each, while graphics will retail for $1.99.
As part of a special launch promotion, the new AT&T and WWE will offer WrestleMania’s Magic Moments, a special package of content featuring great matches from past WrestleMania events as part of the build-up to the WWE’s April 1 WrestleMania 23 PPV event.
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