Ads are back

There's a growing sense among analysts and technology vendors that cellphone users would prefer advertiser-supported entertainment too. For example, see this report [1] from Parks Associates and USC's Entertainment Technology Center, which urges Hollywood to offer free content to mobile users as a way to promote other sales.

As the Parks-ETC report notes, mobile video has several non-trivial hurdles to overcome before it can reach masses of cellphone users. These include small screens, poor user interfaces, a shortage of phones that can support broadcast-quality pictures and the paucity of short-form content. Broberg, though, believes pricing is the biggest barrier, and he thinks his company's technology can generate enough revenue for content owners without collecting a penny from consumers.

March 4, 2008 | latimes.com | Read Article [2]

Study: Short-form Videos Could Spur Movie Ticket Sales

BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS HAVE slowed movie studios from producing short-form video clips for play on MP3s and cellular phones, but research shows it could help drive ticket sales at the box office and retail stores.

A joint white paper from the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California (ETC@USC) and research firm Parks Associates says the basic technology is available, and studios are missing a major opportunity to boost sales.

About 90% of broadband users have a mobile phone, but only 10% use it to watch video, and even fewer--6%--use it to watch live TV. Similarly, one-half of all broadband users have a portable MP3 player, but only 10% use it to watch video, according to the white paper.

March 3, 2008 | publications.mediapost.com | Read Article [3]

Mobile content use will increase if it’s free

Vendors trying to cash in on mobile content should start by giving the stuff away, according to a new white paper from Parks Associates and the think tank Entertainment Technology Center @ USC.

The mobile video market is plagued with challenges including limited bandwidth, poor penetration of video-capable handsets, a lack of interoperability and inadequate discovery tools, the firms said. Content providers should take a cue from Apple Inc.’s iTunes service, according to the white paper, and use some mobile video as a loss-leader to sell premium offerings and seed the market.

February 27, 2008 | rcrnews.com | Read Article [4]

Simply Everything and nothing

Of course, producers and artists alike must derive income from somewhere, which is why The New York Times still publishes a daily newsprint edition and Radiohead still presses CDs and vinyl. But forward-thinking content providers are finally coming to grips with the realization that free digital content complements traditional premium content instead of cannibalizing it. In fact, a new whitepaper [5] released this week by consumer research firm Parks Associates and entertainment technology think tank Entertainment Technology Center argues that free mobile content is essential to promoting programming on traditional media platforms. Noting that fewer than 10 percent of Internet users are willing to download a premium film at present price points, Parks Associates exhorts Hollywood to employ Apple-like tactics and offer bargain-priced content to promote higher-margin programming, specifically by distributing free mobile content to advertise new theatrical releases, DVDs, primetime television series and even premium mobisodes.

February 29, 2008 | fiercemobilecontent.com | Read Article [6]

Free Content On Mobile Phones Would Spur Growth

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS AND TV NETWORKS should provide more free content on cell phones to help seed the mobile audience and promote their offerings in other media.

That's the advice of a new white paper from market research firm Parks Associates and the Entertainment Technology Center@USC titled "How Hollywood Can Out-Apple Apple." It urges content producers to offer up free mobile goodies as loss-leaders the way Apple has used free or low-priced songs and videos to spur iPod sales.

February 27, 2008 | publications.mediapost.com | Read Article [7]

Mobile users, look forward to more free videos

Mobile users who haven't made the jump to watching videos on their cell phones and smartphones may see a juicy, dangling carrot on the horizon. A paper submitted by John Barrett of Parks Associates and David Wertheimer of USC's Entertainment Technology Center (PDF [8]), summarizes that mobile phone users will watch more videos on their phones if they can get them for free. Well, duh. Who doesn't want free?

February 27, 2008 | cnet.com | Read Article [9] [10]