AS A BIT OF A GIMMICK, the moderator of Monday’s personal programming session on mobile video held up a recently released Palm Treo 700wx running on the Bell Mobility EVDO network.
Linked into his PVR at home in Ontario using a Slingbox and the Sling Mobile software, the Treo ably displayed the Sunday Night Football game on the device. Turning to the panel, the smart alecky moderator (that would be your humble author, actually) asked the panel, "If I can do this with a $300 Slingbox, why do I need you guys?"
Those "guys" were from Telus, Bell, The Weather Network, The Fight Network and QuickPlay. Of course, they all had good answers. First of all, they agreed the moderator was an early-adopting dork who is not exactly a typical user of mobile technology and video.
The key is, said Fight Network’s president Mike Garrow, is to build a brand so that people know where to go for the content they like. While there is certainly a ton of video content out there to be accessed, it’s virtually impossible for the everyday consumer to find what they want. "You need to package things up for them," said Garrow.
And mobile video is not about a tinier screen with all your TV channels on it, added QuickPlay’s chief creative officer Raja Khanna. "If that’s all it was, then you don’t need any of us," he said. It’s about creating a new, satisfying experience for the customer.
"The average consumer out there doesn’t have a lot of technical know-how," added Fred DiBlasio, VP content and enhanced services at Telus. "We have to give them enabling tools," to get the content they want.
And, if the carriers and broadcasters can do that, the potential for advertisers to pay more to reach mobile consumers is huge. "There is no other medium with such a captive audience," said Khanna.
But, if advertisers will pay more to directly reach consumers one on one, how will such revenue be split with content providers? Will it at all? With so much available via a mobile phone, and with such a small screen, how will brands like Fight Network or Weather Network ensure they are among the top few displayed when consumers look for mobile video? Will it be done via a ranking? Will they pay a fee?
Well, no one was willing to commit to an answer to those questions, yet. "We’re still in the infancy stage with this model," said Bell Mobility’s director of business development, Andy Wright. He acknowledged some contentious issues between content providers and network owners but added, those issues will work themselves out.
Luc Perreault, VP communications and regulatory affairs for TWN/Meteomedia, insisted branding will win the day and that carriers will pay for video and information from such well-known spots on the dial as The Weather Network. TWN has launched a number of mobile products and the company is working on additional ones, too.
The potential for mobile video is huge, added Khanna who said the ring-tone market is now a $5-billion-plus market – "and it’s a niche product, a fashion accessory," he said. There are far more mobile phones in the world than TV sets and within a couple of years, all cell customers will have a video capable phone, whether they want one or not. "Video is not a niche product. Everybody wants video and it has the potential to break through the 10% ceiling to reach 30, 40, 50, 60 percent."
