MUMBAI: Starcom USA and PureVideo, a user-generated distributor of sports and entertainment video for the web and wireless devices, have inked a partnership to deliver commercially underwritten video downloads to mobile media consumers.

Starcom client Nintendo will be the first featured advertiser for a promotion that offers free video footage of some of the world’s most famous surfing competitions for download to the Apple iPod, Microsoft SmartPhone and most other mobile video devices.

The sponsored “videocasts” are now available on PureVideo’s GrindTV.com, which showcases action sports video from leading events and athletes, and will feature behind-the-scenes coverage of big wave action at Banzai Pipeline and the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing on Oahu’s North Shore.

Additional downloads will also be distributed on StupidVideos.com, one of the internet’s largest user-generated video destination. Together these two PureVideo properties reach 6,000,000+ visitors a month, nearly half of whom are in the tween-to-young adult demographics.

Mobile video consumption has been largely supported by these demographics, and industry analysts ARC forecast that mobile video will generate $5.4 billion a year by 2009.

“Engagement is the reigning key to effective marketing, as consumers dismiss irrelevant disruptions in favor of desired content. The PureVideo partnership enables us to reach a select, savvy target with brand communications in a relevant and uncluttered media contact space, allowing for big message impact and a more receptive, engaged audience,” said Starcom vice president video innovation director Tracey Scheppach, who is charged with finding next-generation video solutions for a roster of blue-chip clients.

PureVideo offers advertisers an unprecedented opportunity to leverage the rising popularity of video downloads to reach young consumers via wireless mobile devices. Through the PureVideo Digital Branding Initiative, Nintendo will be the first major brand advertiser to deliver top-tier sports and entertainment programming to mobile devices in a scalable, device-agnostic, advertising-supported model. Each video will be “wrapped” with an introductory sponsor graphic and a post-roll television spot, and consumers pay nothing to download the content.

PureVideo president and COO Greg Morrow added, “PureVideo strives to deliver compelling video content to our audience while simultaneously creating innovative opportunities for our advertising partners. This initiative allows Nintendo and all future advertising partners to wrap their brands around content that the consumer values enough to download, view and share, and it gives consumers quality content for mobile devices without the customary transaction or subscription fee. We believe that the ad-supported download model will be very popular with both advertisers and mobile device enthusiasts.”