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Soccer Fans Rejoice: All 64 World Cup Matches on Mobile TV
Associate Editor
In late-2004, global telecom services provider Vodafone introduced consumer services making use of its UMTS network, like Mobile TV, VideoCalling, and MusicDownloads. Now, a year and a half later, Vodafone offers its customers a wide range of high-quality telephones and the one of the largest mobile television and music service currently available.
Now, Vodafone is making landmark strides in the mobile TV arena — it plans to offer broadcasts of all 64 FIFA World Cup matches this summer. Vodafone offers its mobile customers exclusive pictures of the world championship with goals, highlights, match round-ups, a daily World Cup news program, an archive of photos from 2002, and statistics. Television viewing is the third most popular mobile activity currently — trailing only calling and texting.
The video images of the FIFA World Cup matches will be digitally recorded and specially edited for the mobile phone optimization. Vodafone customers also have access to soccer related music downloads, ringtones, welcome tunes, games, and wallpapers.
Dutch fans can even watch their team’s friendlies — the practice matches to prepare for the World Cup — on their mobile device. These matches will be broadcast live and in full on the Vodafone mobile.
Non-Vodafone customers, who don’t have access to the Vodafone live! portal, have an option, too. Vodafone is making its service available to them as well. All they have to do is text the word “VOETBAL” to the number 2006, and they will receive a text message reply with a link to a mobile Internet page specially designed for them, with a selection of free soccer news, including up-to-date scores and information. While they may not watch the matches, non-Vodafone customers will at least be kept abreast of results.
Vodafone is offering a World Cup special soccer content package for a one-time payment of €5. For that small fee, subscribers will have access to all soccer content from now until one week after the World Cup final — the championship match is scheduled for July 9th in Berlin. Vodafone customers can text “VOETBAL” to 2006 or subscribe through the Vodafone live! Portal.
Vodafone, which operates as Verizon Wireless in the United States, also owns mobile rights to and has contracts with 35 TV producers and stations worldwide, including Discovery Channel, CNN, MTV, Fashion TV, HBO with “Sex and the City,” and much more.
As of December 31st of last year, the Vodafone Group had 179.3 million customers (not including pager-only customers).
Erik Linask is Associate Editor of INTERNET TELEPHONY. Most recently, he was Managing Editor at Global Custodian, an international securities services publication. To see more of his articles, please visit Erik Linask’s columnist page.
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