ITV Launch their Mobile Simulcast Service

In a blow to the newly active Chairman and Chief Executive of ITV, the Competition
Commission have this morning definitively ruled that the CRR remedy, (which allows buyers
of advertising airtime to renew their existing contracts with ITV, with investment adjusted to
reflect the change in ITV1’s audience share), will be maintained for the foreseeable future.
The only concession that the Commission has made to ITV’s extensive lobbying is an
amendment to include viewers delivered by the ITV1+1 and ITV1HD channels.

MediaCom have partnered with ITV to launch its mobile simulcast service.  It marks the first time a broadcaster will directly transmit their broadcast stream to a mobile device.

The 3G/WiFi iPhone app will be ad-funded and give users access to live streaming of ITV1, ITV2 and ITV4.  Mediacom have brokered a 3 month ad-inventory exclusive for the start of this service.  Launch advertisers include Natwest, T-Mobile, Green King and Universal.  As users log on to the service, they will be served a 20” preroll before joining the live stream.

Securing a decent audience size will, without question, be helped by the timing of the launch coinciding with the 2010 World Cup.  ITV will be the first broadcaster to bring live World Cup matches to mobile.  Mediacom are pleased to have their clients involved with a project that will ultimately lead to widespread adoption of mobile simulcast services like this.