UK’s First Live Streamed TV On Mobile Phones Announced

ITV1 will soon be streamed live to 3.5 million mobile customers, after the broadcaster struck an exclusive six-month deal with mobile company 3.

The deal will be the UK’s first live-streamed terrestrial mobile offering and will also have the largest coverage for content streaming services in the UK, covering 89% of the population.

The deal, which will launch this autumn, also involves ITV Play, the broadcaster’s gaming channel, allowing customers the ability to receive content from Play as well as programmes such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Outgoing ITV chief executive, Charles Allen, said: “Today is a real milestone in the development of TV on the go, and, with ITV’s new broadband channel coming soon, viewers will be able to access ITV’s great content wherever, whenever, and however they choose.”

Customers may be charged for the service, with both companies sharing the revenue raised, but details on how the mobile customers will pay for the service have not yet come out. Advertisements that appear on the channel will not be available for viewing until the beginning of next year. The company may plan to make further deals with other mobile phone operators after the 3 deal ends.

The service may give ITV a slight boost as revenues and share prices tumble, whilst Allen is on the verge of leaving the broadcaster and rumours about his replacement circulate (see Rival Broadcasters Could Block ITV Appointment).

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