MobiTV expands sports content

By Dan Butcher

May 12, 2009

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After powering NCAA March Madness On Demand via the CBS Sports Mobile iPhone app, MobiTV has expanded its on-deck sports content.

MobiTV, which powers the mobile television platforms of carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, Alltel and U.S. Cellular, features ESPN Mobile TV programming, live coverage of special events such as the recent Kentucky Derby, various NCAA sports, NBA playoff games and MLB games.

"MobiTV is dedicated to delivering compelling programming to its subscribers, through relationships with great content providers," said Ray DeRenzo, chief marketing officer of MobiTV, Emeryville, CA. "ESPN is one of those relationships.

"Through a mix of live, made for mobile and VOD content, this means a line-up that includes sports, news, music and primetime programming," he said.

MobiTV has more than 6 million subscribers and is currently compatible with 208 mobile devices. The company has two of the top ten apps among AT&T subscribers (see story).

CBS Mobile Sports app, powered by MobiTV, has been a hit

MobiTV receives programming from ESPN Mobile TV, which is often modified close to air date due to blackouts.

ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball games consistently air on MobiTV, including this weekend's game between the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants on May 17.

The most popular MLB games that MobiTV has carried thus far have been Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves on April 5, opening day; St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs on April 19; and New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox on April 26.

ESPN's Baseball Tonight is available via MobiTV and MediaFlo

Other programming highlights include ESPN's Baseball Tonight, as well as live airings of NBA Fastbreak and NBA Shootaround.

Additional sports content is NHRA drag racing coverage, college softball and lacrosse coverage, as well as live coverage of the men's NCAA volleyball championship.

In addition to ESPN, MobiTV's programming line-up has more than 35 channels of content, from providers including ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS, CNBC, TLC, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Bravo and USA.

Consumers can subscribe to MobiTV through their carrier or by texting keyword GETTV to short code 43888.

MobiTV is a subscriber-based model and is priced at an affordable $9.99 per month. This charge appears on the consumers' phone bill.

There are advertising avails within the mobile inventory and MobiTV has secured ad buys with brands like Jeep, the U.S. Navy, Diet Coke and Charles Schwab.

MobiTV works in collaboration with its content and carrier partners to market the service and to drive tune-in.

In addition, it undertakes consumer-facing campaigns (there is currently a Fox & Friends campaign running), social media tactics (Twitter and a company blog), a monthly consumer newsletter, search engine marketing and text messages.

AT&T is featuring MLB on ESPN in banners on MEDiaNet. These are running across multiple devices. MobiTV is contributing online banners about the content as a co-promotion.

The MobiTV landing page within the AT&T "Sports" section of MEdiaNet also uses an ESPN baseball image with the copy.

As for Sprint, MobiTV has multiple pop-up messages about games within Sprint TV on game days.
MobiTV also issues Twitter updates.

For example: "The MLB season is back in action. Catch the LIVE season opener tonight on your mobile phone- Phillies vs. Braves @ 8pm/ET on ESPN Mobile TV11:44 AM Apr 5th from web."

"The sweet spot of our target demographic is males and females 24-54, with equal emphasis on 24-35 and 36-54 year olds," Mr. DeRenzo said.