NEWS UK mobile phone newcomer 3 is claiming to have got one over on the BBC by securing rights to screen highlights of Premiership matches several hours before they air on Match of the Day.
Customers of 3 will be able to watch match highlights on their mobile phones within about 20 minutes of matches finishing on a Saturday and within five minutes after the final whistle of Premiership and Champions League games on other days.
The BBC's Match Of The Day isn't scheduled to begin until much later in the evening, giving 3 the opportunity to pitch its high-speed mobile service at footie fans who want to see the day's action as soon as possible and are even prepared to do so on the less user-friendly form factor of a mobile phone screen.
Gareth Jones, 3's COO, said: "We are delighted that our customers won't have to wait until 22:30 to see the goals on TV. The new highlights package demonstrates our commitment to offering our customers the best mobile sports service in the UK."
However, the BBC may not be overly worried about the return of its flagship sports show being overshadowed by the loss-making 3 which is still to win hearts and minds - or serious market share - among mobile phone users in the UK.
Comments
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1. anonymous
Aren't the Beeb (BBC Technology) providing the encode of 3's video footage anyway?...so they'll make money out of it.
Recorded Match of the Day with my take away will still win over clips on a mobile ;o)
2. Angus Doyle
I really do wonder what goes on in the heads of the people at Orange, are they all locked in a room 24/7 with no contact to the outside world. I love technology, my life and career is technology driven, but there marketing of this 3G technology is so bad, do they really think they are going to take away busines from the BEEB cause they can offer a service on a screen no bigger than the phone itself? dont know about you but I would rather watch it with my mates on the bigger screen.
So a message to ORANGE.. this is not Japan, we are a different culture, we embrace things very diferently. Stop marketing to us as if we are.
3G as it is now will not take off in the same way as other countries. It took this country long enough to embrace talking on a mobile phone, think of how long it will take for us to loose those inhibitions to stand still to talk on a video phone, and on that note.. standing still!! hmm takes away the whole point of being mobile.
Sack the marketing company, your technology is aimed at my sort of people and age... and I aint convinced.
3. anonymous
Do any phone manufacturers design and make a phone only to do what it was originally designed for MAKING PHONE CALLS.
Personally i couldn't give a **** about when i watch match of the day, or prefrably not watch it.
4. Ruprecht
Angus...what do Orange have to do with this?
5. Angus Doyle
Ruprecht.. now you see my point about the marketing.. who the hell are they..
6. I hate dell
Angus, this is about '3', not Orange
7. anonymous
BBC Technology work side-by-side with 3 in producing and publiishing video conent (including Premiership footage). it seems churlish of 3 to boast like this when they're suppoosed to be working with the BBC anyway. What a bunch of muppets.
8. anonymous
In spain video phone callings very popular are they. Angus must be from the old people he demonstrate his zenophobiia again by him saying that the ingles are not like the other peeple in the world. Time showes that he it rong I think. maybe he be happier in the 19th century when the ingles portugese and spanish tell the world wat to do. Come in Angus your time is finished join the reel world.