Sky Strikes Iphone Content Tie-up
Pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB has struck a mobile content deal with Apple which will make live Premier League matches available to customers using the highly popular iPhone.
Users can watch live sports on Sky Sports and ESPN as well as Sky News through their mobile phones over a wi-fi connection for £6 a month.
Besides the Premier League, users can also watch Scottish football, cricket and golf via Sky’s new application.
BSkyB, which is 39%-owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, has been launching applications for news and sports to try to expand its reach on mobile devices.
To watch sports on a normal television, Sky charges from £26.50 a month for Sky Sports 1 or 2, or £35 for its total sports package – excluding ESPN. Sky Mobile TV, the latest application, is free to download.
‘Our new Sky Mobile TV app combines the demand for great live TV on the move with the high quality viewing experience offered by iPhone and iPod touch,’ said David Gibbs, Sky’s mobile general manager.
Sky says there have been 2m downloads of Sky applications on the iPhone to date, including Sky Sports and Sky Sports Football Score Centre.
Other users have been able to watch Sky Mobile TV on other mobile phones over the 3G network from several mobile phone companies.
In September, both Orange and Vodafone announced that they would be offering the iPhone, expanding its reach as O2’s exclusive contract expires.
