With five Android phones already for sale in its portfolio, Verizon Wireless has started to extend its media offerings from feature phones to other smartphone platforms. Today, Android owners on the Verizon Wireless network will be able to download V Cast Video, featuring more than 230 full-length programs from 40 providers. The video service costs $10 a month on top of the subscribers’ regular voice and data plan.
While Android users have access to a plethora of video services through the application Market, Verizon will have to leverage its partnerships to offer something people are willing to pay for. For instance, it has exclusive access to stream live all 64 Univision Spanish-language broadcasts of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer matches from South Africa. The offering is part of the general trend by carriers to look for ways to maintain content sales as consumers shift from feature phones loaded with carrier-branded services to open-platforms.
We’ll be addressing some of these themes during our next conference, PaidContent2010 Mobile: Leveraging the Smartphone Boom, July 20 in New York City. You can find out more about the agenda and register at http://paidcontent.org/event/mobile2010/.

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