With 1.5 billion mobile-phone users worldwide, even a niche wireless market can be massive. At least, that’s what C. Neil Farnsworth is hoping.
The managing partner of content rights broker Media Rights America L.L.C. inked a deal last week with Vidiator Technology Inc. to market licensed mobile content to carriers in Europe and Asia. The partnership grants Hutchison Whampoa Group subsidiary Vidiator the rights to deliver streaming video and wallpapers from MRA’s library of content, which largely consists of extreme sports, Brazilian soccer teams, street dancing and South American models.
The 7-month-old company acts as a kind of matchmaker between content providers and network operators, and has inked deals with three set-top box companies for Internet or closed network distribution. But last week’s announcement marks the company’s first official move to wireless.
“The numbers are so huge when you look at mobile (usage),” said Farnsworth, who co-owns the Seattle Sounders professional soccer team. “Mobile represents a real opportunity for us.”
While such narrowly targeted programming might not have a place on traditional cable TV listings, mobile phones are better suited for such content due to their sheer ubiquity, Farnsworth said. MRA hopes to move beyond video clips and provide a portfolio of mobile offerings based on its library.
“We’re going to try to take it all mobile,” said Farnsworth. “We’re talking video tones, ringtones, talking clips. … It makes all kinds of sense to have mobile games built around ultimate fighting.” RCR
