TV To Go

Vodafone has reported an overwhelming take-up for their mobile TV service, launched last year with BSkyB. Sky Mobile TV, which is streamed straight to mobiles so it doesn’t need to be downloaded, has signed up over 100,000 subscribers, and now experiences over 70,000 streams per day.

Speaking to delegates at MEM2006, the annual Mobile Entertainment Forum event that brings together players from the mobile and media worlds, Vodafone’s head of sports and entertainment Roger Matthews said: “The message is that customers want mobile TV and they are paying for it. There are more subscribers than we expected and they are paying more than we expected.”

Within weeks of its launch on 1 November 2005 (see Sky Signs Vodafone For Mobile TV Service), the service was already seeing encouraging interest. Initially free to Vodafone’s 3G customers, then available at a standard charge of £5 per month for each package, the service’s continued success shows that mobile TV is here to stay.

Customers have an option of two Sky packages; sports/news/factual and music/entertainment, plus a third pack including content from existing providers such as C4 and Eurosport. Many subscribers have opted to pay £10 to get both Sky packages, which brings the third package for free.

Also part of the two-day MEM2006 at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington, was the industry’s answer to the Oscars, the Meffys, which reward those predicted to be the most influential members in the industry for the coming year. But despite its success with Sky Mobile, shortlisted Vodafone was beaten by 3 UK in the Mobile Entertainment Operator category.

Sky: 08702 40 40 40 www.sky.com Vodafone: www.vodafone.com