BBC offers full-length TV programmes for mobiles

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 24-Aug-05, 11:00

LONDON – Hit BBC shows including 'Doctor Who' and 'Red Dwarf' will soon be available to play on mobile phones due to an innovative licensing deal with content provider Rok Player and BBC Worldwide.

Consumers will be able to buy digital chips of BBC series to insert into their mobile phones enabling them to watch full-length features, even without network coverage.

So far BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, is offering the 'Doctor Who' special 'The Five Doctors'; three 'Red Dwarf' episodes; series three of 'Marooned'; series five of 'Quarantine' and series eight of 'Cassandra'. More TV series will be added over the coming months.

Marc Humphreys, business development manager at BBC Worldwide, said: "We are always looking for new opportunities, both in the UK and abroad, that allow consumers to enjoy their favourite TV content again and again, while delivering additional revenues to the BBC and the talent behind classic programming."

The co-branded chips cost £17 and will be available from Nokia mobile phone stores and Choices Video or direct via Rok Player.

Rok Player already offer music from record labels Sony BMG, Eagle Records and De Dre as well as film content including 'Wallace and Gromit', 'Shawshank Redemption' and 'SpongeBob Square Pants'.

The BBC Worldwide deal marks the first time that the corporation has licensed full-length video content for mobile phones.

Last week, the BBC announced it was to stream preview clips of BBC Three comedy series 'Nighty Night' on mobiles and online for the first time.

Video-compatible mobile phone users can preview the series by texting and internet users can download the clips from the internet.

Rok Entertainment, owner of Rok Player, predicts that the mobile content market will be worth £100m a year in three years.

Jonathan Kendrick, chairman and chief executive of Rok Entertainment, said: "Leading content owners such as film distributors, TV companies, production houses and record labels have previously had no way of packaging content appropriately for the mobile.

"Rok Player, with its full-screen playback of films, television shows and music videos means that the mobile handset has been turned into a recorded media player."

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