ALEXANDRA, Va.—Hook Mobile emerged from stealth mode with a cross-carrier multimedia messaging service (MMS) application that allows players to collect and trade “cards” of contestants from the CBS reality hit “Survivor.”
Users can initiate the subscription service by sending a key word to a short code or from visiting the site http://tradingcards.cbs.com. “Survivor” fans can manage the content online, trade with others and purchase additional packs in an effort to collect all 61 cards.
The service is offered at about $8 a month, including three new cards each week, and is available to subscribers of Cingular Wireless L.L.C., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile USA Inc. users will be able to access the cards later this month.
The startup’s founders hope to gain traction by coupling a social networking component with familiar, branded content. CBS will promote the offering with on-air commercials and online tie-ins.
“A lot of the content that’s out there is getting a little bit tired,” said co-founder Casey Jones, senior vice president of marketing. “We see 2007 as being the year of MMS.”
