Unique new approach to mobile TV interaction
Occasionally you come across something that is truly innovative. A company
called
In Time Media are working with the producers of a popular reality TV show in the UK called Strictly Come Dancing.
The concept is a Symbian voting app that you run on your phone while watching the programme, it seems to listen for trigger audio from the TV and keeps in synch with what's happening on the screen. Unfortunately for me you need to be on a UK network to download the app. I will try contacting them directly in order that I can try it out.
The company claims to be based in Castlebar in Ireland but the website provides a UK mobile number and they us a .co.uk domain.
Advertising will be the ONLY revenue stream for mobile content
As the mobile content market matures (aka saturates) it is very apparent that advertising is going to be the key revenue opportunity for mobile content and app providers. The US mobile market has already realised that users won't pay for mobile browsing but are happy to watch some targeted ads in return for free browsing. See for example
Zoovision which provides free mobile video content and is funded solely by advertising.
On this side of the (currently very stormy) pond
Blyk is an MVNO due to launch in the UK which will provide FREE Voice and text service in return for advertising. Another example I came across today is
pitch.tv. This is an interesting startup where users join a mobile community where they can exchange lots of free games , wallpapers and ringtones in return for receiving three SMS ads per month. Makes sense. Unfortunately I can't try the service for real as you must send a text to a UK shortcode to join.
Youtube (again) on the Verizon
An obvious development really but good to see it becoming a reality:
TECHNOLOGY ALERT
from The Wall Street Journal.
Nov. 7, 2006
Verizon is in advanced talks with YouTube to bring the popular Web site's
videos to cellphones and television sets, in what would be a landmark
link-up between telecom and Internet video.
For more information, see
WSJ(logon required)
An important question is whether or not this is an exclusive deal. If so the other major US MNO's (T-mobile, Sprint and Cingular) will need to talk to
Revver or equivalent quite soon. Also what about the rest of the world? A Vodafone Live! with youtube content would make a lot of sense.
Another important issue of course is the filtering of the content. MNO's as we know are paranoid about the "sanctity" of mobile content on their portals so I am sure every video put up will be double-filtered manually.
