NATPE Mobile ++

I'm in Las Vegas this week at the annual NATPE (National Association of Television Production Executives) convention. One of the big topics this year is delivery of digital content (especially video) to mobile devices. Today, about 20% of the cell phones in the US have video capability. Soon that will be 33%.

One of the problems in the mobile sector is the lack of good short-form creative content. Viewing habits on cell phones tend to favor content that is only a few minutes in length, rather than full-length programming. While users tend to expect content delivered via Internet to be free, there is precedent for people to pay for additional mobile phone content. For example, people will pay $2.95 to download a Coldplay ring tone (when they can download the entire song legally for $.99).

Revenues from delivery of video/TV to mobile devices generated about $123 million in 2006. That figure is expected to grow to $4.3 billion by 2011. Astounding growth predictions.

Meanwhile, with the introduction of the iPhone by Apple and a gaggle of new devices that were introduced at CES last week, the hardware in the marketplace is becoming even more video friendly.

Ultimately expect to be able to download video entertainment to your cell phone and be able to decide whether you want to view it on your phone, or via BlueTooth consume it through your television or computer monitor.

Two years ago the mobile market was discussed as still being future. This year that future has arrived and is about to hit the steep slope of the growth curve.