Private Media takes adult content direct to consumers

Private Media Group Inc. launched a direct-to-consumer mobile storefront for its adult content wares.
The site, www.private.mobi, allows consumers to use a credit card to access a variety of images and video clips. The offering is powered by Mobile Streams, a wireless entertainment company with subsidiaries around the world.
Private Media Group COO Peter Cohen said the new site – which is targeted at European users but can be accessed by U.S. handsets – is meant to complement the company’s on-deck efforts.
“We are currently available ‘on-portal’ on over 800 million handsets in 35 countries via 83 operators,” said Cohen, “and we are very focused on maximizing our mobile content distribution as ‘off-portal’ content delivery is projected to exponentially grow in the next few years. With this new delivery method we are anticipating significant incremental growth in contribution to operating profit from our mobile division.”
Adult mobile content has gained traction in developing markets where fixed-line Internet access is often unavailable, and in more liberal European markets. The steamy stuff has failed to gain traction in North America, however, as carriers have largely kept controversial material at arm’s length.