NEW YORK-Virgin Mobile USA launched its nationwide prepaid wireless service and announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Viacom, which will provide exclusive content and products from youth-oriented television networks MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and CMT.
Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson unveiled both the nationwide service and content deals in a lavish Times Square ceremony, wearing only a strategically placed fake cell phone to emphasize the company’s commitment to hide nothing from its customers. Virgin had originally launched its Virgin Mobile service, which operates on Sprint PCS’ network, in only a couple of markets earlier this month prior to its nationwide launch.
The deal with Viacom is scheduled to begin in a few weeks and will provide Virgin Mobile customers with access to games, graphics, ring tones, text alerts and voicemails and is expected to cater to Virgin Mobile’s 15- to 30-year-old target audience.
