MUMBAI: Television on mobile is all geared up to be the next big thing as UK provider Orange, rolls out a mobile handset service, which will offer customers top TV shows and channels.
Channels such as Cartoon Network and CNN will be made available for a monthly subscription of ?10. This will be UK's first TV-on-the-mobile service, which will allow customers to watch news, sport and entertainment programmes on their phone.
Running over Orange's high-speed 3G network, the service – which will be available from next week – has an initial line-up of nine channels including ITN News, CNN, Big Brother, Celebrity Love Island, Comedy Time, Cartoon Network, Toon World, Fashion TV and extreme sports. Further channels will be available in the coming weeks.
All of the channels will be streamed over the Orange 3G network and are available through the new Orange TV section on Orange World. Customers need to be in 3G coverage to use the service.
Orange TV will initially be available on the Nokia 6680 from Orange, with further handsets to follow throughout the year. Customers can download the TV application for free from Orange World, then pay a subscription to watch the channels.
Orange chief marketing officer Alexis Dormandy said, "Our customers will be the first in the UK to watch TV on their mobiles, be that CNN or 24 hour coverage of the Big Brother house. This signals the start of a huge new opportunity for our customers, broadcasters, handset manufacturers and production companies."
"We've partnered with some of the most respected broadcasters in the industry to ensure we offer a compelling and diverse selection of launch channels that match our equally diverse customer base. We're talking to broadcasters about new, exciting content and we're looking forward to adding more great Orange TV channels in the near future."
In India, Hutchinson Essar launched the Hutch TV-on-mobile in September last year. The channels from where content would be available to Hutch users include CNBC-TV18, AXN, NDTV India, NDTV 24X7, Discovery, Sony, Zee TV, Max, Nick, ETV, Animax, Raj TV and Trendz.
