Disney and ESPN Media Networks have appointed Tim Connolly to the newly created position of VP of mobile distribution.Connolly has extensive experience in the wireless industry, most recently serving as VP of sales and business development at L.M. Ericsson, where he was responsible for...
AFTER NUMEROUS DELAYS, AT&T Mobility is preparing to launch broadcast mobile TV service from MediaFLO USA Inc. in early February, according to sources close to the situation.Leaked internal documents and sources indicate that AT&T Mobility is planning to launch the service with two exclusive...
Podcasts and video ads have dropped off in the mobile advertising space, according to a new survey of more than 2,000 brand marketers and agencies.The "Wave Eight" survey, conducted by market research firm Advertiser Perceptions, asked marketers representing consumer package goods, automotives, retail and...
ESPN announced it partnered with MobiTV to create ESPN Mobile TV. The 24/7 channel for wireless is designed to offer live, simulcast sports events; comprehensive and breaking sports news, mobile-exclusive programming; commentary and analysis; and real-time sports scores and game updates.Already ESPN and MobiTV...
The biggest upset of this football season may have been Appalachian State University's victory over Michigan. But for the mobile-marketing industry, it came the day ESPN had more visits to the NFL content on its mobile Web site than it did to the same...
The latest casualty in the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) space is XE Mobile, which targeted college-age youth and marketed itself as a hip, provocative alternative to traditional carriers with an affinity program and cheap long-distance calling.According to a message on the pay-as-you-go MVNO's...
Editor's Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News' new weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week we'll review a new wireless application or service from the user's point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works...
After shutting down two mobile virtual network operations in the United States, Walt Disney Co. is hoping the third time is the charm; the company is restarting its "Disney Mobile" offering, this time in Japan.The company said it will work with Japanese mobile operator...
It's no secret that advertising dollars are finally coming to mobile. But for now, at least, it's the high-profile publishers that are bringing in the cash.How big mobile advertising will be depends on whom you ask. The Kelsey Group predicts the U.S. market will...
So the big mouse has left the wireless house.Just over a year after unveiling its mobile virtual network operator plans in a fireworks-studded event at the CTIA show in the spring of 2006, the Walt Disney Co. decided to pull the plug on its...
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...
IF 2006 WAS THE YEAR OF THE LAUNCH for mobile virtual network operators, then 2007 has so far been the Year of the Crash.The last few months have brought a screeching halt to the MVNO hype that dominated 2005 and most of 2006, when...
The Walt Disney Co. is shutting down its remaining mobile virtual network operator, Disney Mobile, as of Dec. 31. The company announced this morning that it would dismantle Disney Mobile and would explore "a new business model for its content and services that might...
Mobile virtual network operator Disney Mobile has been well-received by parents, but lacks scale and may see some changes to its business model, according to remarks by Walt Disney Co.'s senior executive VP and CFO Tom Stagg at a Merrill Lynch conference this week....
Editor's Note: Welcome to our Monday feature, Analyst Angle. We've collected a group of the industry's leading analysts to give their outlook on the hot topics in the wireless industry. In the coming weeks look for columns from Jupiter Research's Julie Ask, iGR's Iain...
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...
MediaFLO USA Inc. is still holding most of its customers' usage data close to the vest-thanks in part to continuing exclusivity with Verizon Wireless until AT&T Mobility launches the service later this year-but the company is increasingly getting the word out about its platform...
Amp'd Mobile Inc. went dark last week, after filing for bankruptcy and being unable to raise sufficient funds to carry it through reorganization.The company joins Mobile ESPN in the annals of failed mobile virtual network operators, and its customers were stuck with shiny paperweights...
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 RCRNews.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way....
MediaFLO USA Inc. and Verizon Wireless have teamed up with ESPN to launch a temporary channel on MediaFLO's mobile broadcast TV service to give viewers live action from this summer's X Games beginning Aug. 2. The offering will be available through Verizon Wireless' Vcast...
MediaFLO USA Inc. and Verizon Wireless have teamed up with ESPN to launch a temporary channel on MediaFLO's mobile broadcast TV service to give viewers live action from this summer's X Games beginning Aug. 2. The offering will be available through Verizon Wireless' Vcast...
The text message from Verizon Wireless was unexpected, unsolicited-and welcome.The pitch arrived on my phone last Tuesday, urging me to take the new ESPN Mobile application and Vcast service for a free 30-day test drive. Verizon Wireless would pick up the $15 bill for...
MediaFLO USA Inc. has scooped up some exclusive mobile premieres since its launch in March and it plans to continue. In late June, the company broadcast the mobile premiere of MTV Network's "Super Sweet 16: The Movie" before it hit the at-home TV airwaves,...
It hasn't taken long for mobile broadcast TV provider MediaFLO USA Inc. to scoop up exclusive premieres since its March launch. Last Friday the company broadcast the mobile premiere of MTV's "Super Sweet 16: The Movie" and today it announced a full line-up of...
