Europe
UK : ITV and mobile media company 3 announced an exclusive deal to
stream ITV1 – ITV’s flagship channel - to 3’s customers
in the UK.
The groundbreaking deal will enable the 3.5 million customers on 3
to watch ITV1 and ITV Play – ITV’s participation channel
– live on their mobile phone. ITV1 is Britain’s most popular
commercial TV channel, playing all 300 of the top commercial programmes
on TV this year.
As well as being the UK’s first live streamed terrestrial mobile
channels, it will also become the largest service of its kind in the
UK with coverage of more than 89% of the UK population.
Available from this autumn, ITV has granted an exclusive 3G mobile
licence to 3 for six months. This agreement is another in a series
of TV firsts for 3. 3 was the first UK operator to bring TV content
to mobile, the first to stream live TV, the first to stream a live
music gig to mobile and the first operator to launch its own made-for-mobile
TV channels.
Evidence from current mobile TV services indicates that mobile TV
viewing is complementary to traditional viewing, with many people
catching up whilst travelling, or when they aren’t near a TV,
creating a unique broadcast television experience on the move.
Full details of the channel packages will be announced nearer the
time of launch.
Charles
Allen ( left ), Chief Executive of ITV said:
“We are delighted that we are teaming up with 3 to be the first
terrestrial broadcaster in the UK to launch this kind of service.
This is a bold new service from ITV and 3 which makes the ambition
of fully streamed mobile TV a reality. 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.”
Bob Fuller, Chief Executive of 3 said:
“This partnership with ITV is a natural next step for 3 as we
continue to build a complete mobile platform that meets all of our
customers’ communication and entertainment needs on the move.
It offers the first true mainstream experience of mobile television
and adds a new dimension to the traditional way our customers watch
television. 3 and ITV have demonstrated clearly how an innovative
approach to television can create new services and commercial models,
which is an exciting prospect for broadcasters, advertisers and audiences.”
