MySpace Set For Further Expansion And Mobile Network

Social networking website MySpace has unveiled plans for global expansion and a new mobile phone service that will allow its 87 million global users to connect to the service wherever they are.

MySpace chief executive Chris DeWolfe said the site, which has more than three million registered users in the UK, would expand into ten new countries over the next year.

Mr DeWolfe said the new mobile service, which has already launched in the US, would come to Europe soon. “We think there’s a great opportunity to create a MySpace Lite for any mobile device,” he said.

The site was acquired by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in July last year as part of a £332 million deal. Other social networking sites, like Bebo and video-sharing site YouTube, are currently challenging MySpace’s monopoly.

Over the eight weeks leading up to April 29, Bebo had an 18.6% share of social networking site page views compared to MySpace’s 17.4% (see Yahoo! And eBay Join Forces).

News International: 020 7782 3922 www.newscorp.co.uk