ESPN is broadening its wireless reach in a deal with MobiTV to create a channel delivering live simulcasts of some sports events to cell phones.
Live National Basketball Association games and professional tennis matches top the list of sports programming to be carried on the new ESPN Mobile TV channel, a 24-hour channel mirroring the 24-hour cable sports network.
An NBA match-up featuring the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers later this month is among the A-list content ESPN will make available, along with more than 50 hours of coverage from the Australian Open Tennis Tourney.
Fitting the younger demographic the channel is targeting, a college basketball tripleheader featuring North Carolina and Duke in one contest and 10 hours of Winter X Games coverage will also be part of the initial mix.
ESPN will also create “mobile-specific” shows for the channel, including a mobile counterpart to SportsCenter and a “Fantasy Football Now” show. Fantasy football is a prime source of income for ESPN.com.
Generation X and Y consumers are the most elusive TV targets as a group, and among the most avid multi-tasking multimedia users. A more comprehensive ESPN mobile channel is clearly a tactic to draw more of their eyes back to the cable network when they’re not scanning other screens.
“Adding ESPN Mobile TV to the MobiTV lineup truly delivers live, action-packed sporting events and keeps fans connected away from the big screen,” said Matt Murphy, ESPN senior vice president of digital video distribution, in a statement.
ESPN has had a relationship with MobiTV, the subscription mobile TV service, since 2005. Up until now, ESPN has provided game highlights and clips for mobile viewing.
The new mobile sports channel will also be accessible through MediaFlo USA’s mobile entertainment service.
