Mobile TV is doing OK in Japan…the service, at least — the business model still needs to be hammered out. “Programming is currently the same as regular TV broadcasts, which means it’s free. Media and analyst estimates put current digital TV cellphone shipments between 600,000 to 1 million — a market still too small to generate new advertising revenue.” Which makes it difficult to generate revenue, so they’re relying on a model of directing people to buy content they see on the shows. However, in 2008 broadcasting rules will change to allow the development of specialized programming for mobiles (I’m not sure why there’s a two year wait). Suggested in the article are shopping channels and auctions, rather than drama or mobisodes.
“Kuzushima predicts Japan’s digital broadcasts will be received on some 10.8 million cellphones by 2008 but the broadcast market for mobile devices will only be worth 9.1 billion yen ($79 million)…By 2010, he expects TV cellphones to climb to 24.8 million units and estimates the market at 50 billion yen.”
There’s also this interesting vox pop at the beginning of the article: “It really is very good. The only trouble I have is that every so often I watch too long and end up with a dead battery. That’s why I carry a second phone around with me now.” Surely it would be easier and cheaper to get a spare battery?
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