ESPN, MobiTV Extend Relationship Round The Clock
Launch ESPN Mobile TV Platform Featuring Game Simulcasts, Original Programming
By Multi Channel News Staff -- Multichannel News, 1/7/2008 8:29:00 AM
ESPN and MobiTV are teaming on a 24/7 wireless service that will offer game simulcasts, sports news and commentary, plus some of the network’s original programming.
ESPN Mobile TV will offer full-length live events including college football and basketball, NBA, NASCAR, Major League Soccer, Arena Football League, Major League Lacrosse and more. It will also present Mike & Mike in the Morning, First Take, Pardon the Interruption, Rome is Burning and Around the Horn, plus new mobile-specific shows such as ESPN ReSet, ScoreCenter and Fantasy Football Now.
ESPN Mobile TV succeeds ESPN’s first made-for-mobile sports programming channel launched by MobiTV in July of 2005. The latest ESPN channel will be included in the basic programming lineup and will span several of MobiTV’s products, including Sprint TV Xtra, MobiTV on AT&T and Axcess TV Live (Alltel), among others.
During January, ESPN Mobile TV will serve up more than 50 hours of coverage from the Australian Open Tennis Championships; 10 hours of Winter X Games 12; a number of NBA contests, including the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs Jan. 23; coverage of the Major League Soccer draft; and college hoops quadrupleheaders on Jan. 19 and Jan. 26.
“MobiTV is committed to delivering the marquee TV brands consumers are used to seeing at home and ESPN programming represents a significant milestone in our mission to deliver home-like viewing experience to consumers, wherever they are,” said Jeff Bartee, vice president of content and programming at MobiTV.
“As a leader in developing and delivering sports content across both traditional and digital mediums, we’re confident that the continued growth of ESPN Mobile TV will help satiate sports fans’ growing appetite for timely and relevant mobile content,” said Matt Murphy, senior vice president, digital video distribution at ESPN, in a statement.
ESPN in February 2006 launched a nationwide mobile virtual-network operator service, using Sprint's network, requiring subscribers to purchase a separate wireless phone and subscription plan. After about eight months, ESPN decided to pull the plug on the offering, citing disappointing sign-up rates. The service closed Dec. 31.
Last February, ESPN announced that Mobile ESPN service would become available to subscribers of Verizon Wireless' V Cast service later in the year.
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