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ESPN to start mobile service with Sanyo phone

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 September 2005, 09:01 CDT

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Sports television network ESPN plans to start selling a wireless service for sports fans on a limited basis this year with a mobile phone from Sanyo Electric Co Ltd, it said on Tuesday.

Disney's ESPN sees the mobile service, which will operate on a high-speed wireless network that Sprint Nextel Corp. is building, as a way to expand its brand and its sports programming beyond traditional television screens.

Sprint Nextel leases network space to several wireless providers including Virgin Mobile USA, its joint venture with Virgin,in an effort to gain revenue from consumers it has not signed up for Sprint branded services.

Sprint Nextel, which plans to have a high-speed network that covers about half of the U.S. population early next year, will also support a separate Disney branded mobile service.

ESPN said customers could sign up for its Mobile ESPN service and buy the Sanyo MPV phone on its Web site in time for the winter holiday season. It plans to follow with a full national retail launch in February.

Along with traditional phone call services it plans to deliver sports score alerts, breaking news and commentary as well as some audio and video clip services to mobile phones. It did not reveal pricing for the service or the phone.

The Sanyo MPV has a 1.3 megapixel camera, a video and voice recorder, and an MP3 digital music player, ESPN said.

Source: REUTERS

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