Hello!
And welcome to our Thursday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCR Wireless News to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We hope you enjoy it!
And without further ado:
It’s going… it’s going… It’s gone! Mobile ESPN is out of the market!
The lauded, sports-focused mobile virtual network operator is shutting down service, just eight months after its big Super Bowl launch. Am I the only one who’s dizzy?
Mobile ESPN said it will shut down its service just three months from now, on Dec. 31. Customers who purchased Mobile ESPN phones will receive a full refund for the price of their phone at the end of the year. The carrier said it will contact its customers with “details about future service options to assist in the transition to the new home of Mobile ESPN.” However, those customers who are less than thrilled with the service thus far can cut their losses and run—without having to pay that pesky early-termination penalty.
But don’t worry all you sports nuts—there’s a silver lining! Mobile ESPN has been approached by “well-entrenched carriers” about a licensing model, according to Salil Mehta, executive vice president of ESPN Enterprises.
“With a redefined approach we have a greater opportunity to reach millions of fans while achieving our strategic and financial goals,” said Mr. Mehta.
See? Silver lining.
If I were a betting man (which I can’t be … because I’m dirt poor) I would bet that Sprint Nextel is the “well-entrenched carrier” talking to Mobile ESPN. After all, would Sprint Nextel be cool with its friend Cingular taking over a business that launched on the Sprint Nextel network?
Or maybe Sprint Nextel would be fine with that… What do I know?
I sorta feel bad for all you sports yahoos out there. I personally know two people (both men, unsurprisingly) who were desperate to get Mobile ESPN service. They were just waiting for their current wireless service contracts to expire before they signed up for the Mobile ESPN service. So don’t worry future Mobile ESPN licensee, whoever you are, you’ve got two potential customers waiting in the wings!
Although it wasn’t entirely unexpected, I think it’s still surprising that Mobile ESPN fumbled it so quickly. The KO came in the first round, it seems. I mean, three pitches and three strikes is a pretty fast out, even here in Rockies territory. A slam dunk this is not. Indeed, the whole thing comes at you like a puck to the teeth. Mobile ESPN sure did get the red card in this game. It’s like they had a power play and couldn’t even get to the goal!
I want to keep going with the sports puns, but I guess I should get on to the point.
And what is the point? Beats me, I only work here. But I think one thing is clear: Sprint Nextel, Verizon Wireless, Cingular and the rest of you network-owning carriers can breathe a quick sigh of relief. It looks like niche MVNOs (like those focused on sports nuts) aren’t going to steal all of your customers. In fact, they might just build you a business, complete with specialized phones and plans, and then license it to you on the cheap!
OK! Enough of that. Thanks for checking out this Worst of the Week column. Wanna check out other Worst of the Week entries? Click here for past columns. And now, some extras:
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Sony Ericsson and Fossil are going to make Bluetooth-capable watches. Good stuff. However, the first watch to come out of the partnership only alerts you to an incoming call—you can’t actually answer the call on your watch. I can here Dick Tracy fans everywhere sigh in disappointment.
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The latest MVNO out there is Red Pocket Mobile, which is targeting Chinese-Americans (not South Korean-Americans, like Helio). Ironically, Red Pocket launched the day before Mobile ESPN flamed out. “Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.”
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T-Mobile USA looks like it’s going to drop Catherine Zeta-Jones as its spokeswoman. Don’t worry, Catherine, I’m here for you.
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Visto added another $51 million in venture capital to its bank account. Am I the only one who submitted my resume to Visto after that news?
I welcome your comments. Please send me an e-mail at mdano@crain.com.
