One way to get a sense of how much priority Hollywood networks are placing on mobile is to look at the executives on board and how many people are working on their respective teams.
The big four networks-ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox-each takes a different approach to the small screen. The business models are still largely unproven in scope, but all of the networks are developing strategies meant to harness their existing platforms as they drive to gain more viewers on the go.
CBS made a fresh start in its mobile endeavors, beginning with a blank slate to form standalone wireless teams from the top down. In its case, hiring one seasoned veteran in the wireless space.
Others, like ABC in particular, have decided to leverage existing staff to deliver their programming to mobile devices. That approach has added few heads to the mix.
The different approaches are stark in some respects.
CBS Mobile has posted at least 11 new job positions in recent weeks-all new positions with a variety of responsibilities from the executive level down to assistants.
It’s come a long way from the one-man team that started it all: CBS Mobile Executive VP Cyriac Roeding.
“Our team has grown dramatically. I think it’s fair to say that when I started here two years ago, it was one person and it was me,” he said.
Roeding has built up the team from the top down, looking for the right mix of experienced TV programmers and mobile application experts. But it hasn’t been easy.
Little experience in new field
“Finding the right people in this business is very difficult because there’s almost no one with experience in this field,” he said. “It’s hard to find people who think truly mobile and the mix that we are looking for depends on the position. It’s a mix, it’s a blend, but of course the combination of mobile with everything else is crucial.”
CBS doesn’t generally disclose staffing numbers, but whatever its size, it has yet to impede its wireless plans. CBS Mobile has locked up a variety of direct distribution deals with the top three carriers and is now focusing on extending its reach to new realms while keeping an eye on mobile advertising.
“While mobile advertising is small today, we truly believe this will be a very large market and not too far off,” Roeding said. “We’re walking the talk and we’re putting resources behind it.”
“CBS has a pretty wide reach on mobile now,” he added. “Because we have that reach, we now have a platform to play with.”
Compare that approach with ABC, the only major network absent from the programming roster at MediaFLO USA Inc., the nation’s first commercially launched broadcast mobile TV provider.
“We just couldn’t come to business terms,” ABC Entertainment executive Bruce Gersh said earlier this year at CTIA Wireless 2007. ABC’s ESPN Mobile brand is on the docket however, along with CBS Mobile, Comedy Central, Fox Mobile, MTV, NBC 2Go and Nickelodeon.
Building mobile into DNA
NBC Universal is taking a two-pronged approach to mobile. “We have a central group to help drive new ideas, but we are working to build mobile into the DNA of the NBCU organization-our Web sites and our technology organization have all become key players in mobile development,” said Salil Dalvi, general manager of wireless platforms at the network.
“We are focusing on building our output, reach, and usage, and finding new ways to monetize these things. We have grown from one daily news offering in 2004 to 12 short-form channels, two 24/7 live mobile channels, 35 mobile Web sites and 50-plus SMS campaigns per year,” he added.
Meanwhile, Fox has taken a more focused approach; having built the Fox Mobile Entertainment brand to highlight the priority it places on wireless. The mobile team has grown from a dozen employees a few years ago to several hundred worldwide.
“The team is continually focused on our areas of core strength-breadth of content, innovation and distribution,” said Philippa Dworkin, VP of global communications at Fox Mobile Entertainment. “We are global but not a one-size-fits-all shop. Our offerings in each country are highly relevant to that market and demographic, so that we are continually connecting people with their passions.”
Fox is responsible for creating the original mobisodes, having even gone so far as to trademark the term. “Because our corporate culture fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, we’re flexible and nimble enough that we can innovate fast and bring new content to market very fast,” Dworkin added.
Indeed, News Corp., Fox’s parent company, has put considerable investment into the wireless space, staking its claim as one of the early pioneers in mobile entertainment. To expand its off-deck plans, the company bought a 51% stake in Jamba, a content aggregator of music and original content created exclusively for mobile, from VeriSign Inc. in 2006 for $188 million. The deal led to a joint venture between both companies, with Fox Mobile Entertainment retaining the Jamster brand in the United States and the Jamba name elsewhere.
Long-term play
Perhaps CBS’ Roeding best summarized the road ahead for the big four: “We’re not resting on our agreements with our carriers,” he said. “We see that as the beginning of a long story and we have a lot of work and we want to make this better all the time.”
