By Dr. Mehmet Unsoy - mSolve Partners
The 2010 World Cup is kicking off today in South Africa. This is world’s biggest sporting event, held once every 4 years, when 32 football (soccer in the U.S.) teams battle for the trophy. It starts today with the match between South Africa and Mexico, and ends with the final match a month later on July 11th. For sure, billions of fans will be avidly watching and talking about football during the next 4 weeks. The television rights of these matches have been quoted as more than $2 Billion.
Compared to 4 years ago, this time around, a significant number of mobile video and mobile TV services are targeting the World Cup audiences. First, we have about 500 Million Smartphones, including iPhones, that are capable of watching videos. In the U.S., Sprint has partnered with ESPN Mobile TV, offering all the World Cup games on certain Smartphones. In the same manner, MobiTV as well as FLO TV will be offering channels of World Cup coverage to AT&A and Verizon users.
Yahoo has set up the largest mobile site dedicated to cover the World Cup, with lots of mobile video choices. It is available in 13 languages and in 40+ markets. In Africa, which is the hosting continent, there are more than 10 mobile TV broadcasting services, and FIFA, the governing organization for football, will also be providing live mobile TV broadcast, for the first time.
When South Korea plays Greece on the second day of the tournament, there may be up to 27 million Koreans watching their team on their mobile handsets! Korea is the global leader in free-to-air mobile TV, where 56% of the population regularly watches TV on their phones.
Emerging markets like China, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America have been ahead of Europe and the U.S. in the development and deployment of mobile TV, especially since the technology behind the digital free-to-air mobile TV is relatively simple. A small chip and a telescoping antenna are all you need to receive free digital or analog signals off the air!
In the U.S., the major industry initiative is around ATSC standards, which allow local TV stations to broadcast digital mobile TV to users with handsets that are equipped with ATSC chips. Trials have been running in different parts of the country, and the industry is very optimistic that, this time round, mobile TV may take off in the U.S. provided that the business model and the price are right. They are targeting to reach 150 Million mobile users in the U.S.! In addition, there are lots of Smartphone apps targeting World Cup, for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Some of these are more global and some are targeting local markets. Most of apps would be offering video clips of the matches, in addition to scores and all the other information. All in all, mobile video and mobile TV might be one of the big winners at World Cup 2010.
The 2010 World Cup is kicking off today in South Africa. This is world’s biggest sporting event, held once every 4 years, when 32 football (soccer in the U.S.) teams battle for the trophy. It starts today with the match between South Africa and Mexico, and ends with the final match a month later on July 11th. For sure, billions of fans will be avidly watching and talking about football during the next 4 weeks. The television rights of these matches have been quoted as more than $2 Billion.
Compared to 4 years ago, this time around, a significant number of mobile video and mobile TV services are targeting the World Cup audiences. First, we have about 500 Million Smartphones, including iPhones, that are capable of watching videos. In the U.S., Sprint has partnered with ESPN Mobile TV, offering all the World Cup games on certain Smartphones. In the same manner, MobiTV as well as FLO TV will be offering channels of World Cup coverage to AT&A and Verizon users.
Yahoo has set up the largest mobile site dedicated to cover the World Cup, with lots of mobile video choices. It is available in 13 languages and in 40+ markets. In Africa, which is the hosting continent, there are more than 10 mobile TV broadcasting services, and FIFA, the governing organization for football, will also be providing live mobile TV broadcast, for the first time.
When South Korea plays Greece on the second day of the tournament, there may be up to 27 million Koreans watching their team on their mobile handsets! Korea is the global leader in free-to-air mobile TV, where 56% of the population regularly watches TV on their phones.
Emerging markets like China, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America have been ahead of Europe and the U.S. in the development and deployment of mobile TV, especially since the technology behind the digital free-to-air mobile TV is relatively simple. A small chip and a telescoping antenna are all you need to receive free digital or analog signals off the air!
In the U.S., the major industry initiative is around ATSC standards, which allow local TV stations to broadcast digital mobile TV to users with handsets that are equipped with ATSC chips. Trials have been running in different parts of the country, and the industry is very optimistic that, this time round, mobile TV may take off in the U.S. provided that the business model and the price are right. They are targeting to reach 150 Million mobile users in the U.S.! In addition, there are lots of Smartphone apps targeting World Cup, for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. Some of these are more global and some are targeting local markets. Most of apps would be offering video clips of the matches, in addition to scores and all the other information. All in all, mobile video and mobile TV might be one of the big winners at World Cup 2010.
No comments:
Post a Comment