EMI & T-Mobile Offer Ad Supported Video In UK

EMI Music and T-Mobile are collaborating on a trial of ad-supported mobile video with the support of mobile advertising service Rhythm NewMedia.  This new offering has begun into the UK on the T-Mobile network, and will provide access to free mobile video embedded with television-style advertising.

Read the full EMI press release after the jump.   

EMI MUSIC AND T-MOBILE COLLABORATE ON AD-SUPPORTED MOBILE VIDEO TRIALS

LONDON and LOS ANGELES, SEPTEMBER 11, 2006 — EMI Music, the world’s largest independent record company, and T-Mobile, one of the world’s largest mobile operators are collaborating on a trial of ad-supported mobile video with the support of mobile advertising pioneer Rhythm NewMedia.  This new consumer offering has commenced trials on T-Mobile’s network, and will give customers access to free mobile video content embedded with television-style advertising.

The trial is being conducted in the UK, where T-Mobile customers will be presented with an electronic program guide (EPG) on their handset that will offer a range of content choices ranging from news, entertainment and sports from top-tier content providers.  Music videos from EMI UK artists will be the exclusive music offering for the duration of the trial.  When a user selects a video from an EMI Music UK artist such as Lilly Allen, Gorillaz, The Kooks or Robbie Williams, that video is packaged and streamed with specifically targeted advertisements.  The advertisers participating in this trial include Coca Cola Zero, General Motors (UK), Gillette, Land Rover, Microsoft Mobile, Nike and Toyota (GB).      

Tony Kypreos, EVP Business Development & Innovation, T-Mobile International commented:  “We see Mobile as the key emerging platform to address many of the shortcomings of traditional media today.  The increased popularity and penetration on our customer base of rich media and internet applications allows us to make advertising even more attractive to brands wishing to reach a targeted audience.   T-Mobile has focused on evaluating the consumer acceptance and the advertising effectiveness of the mobile medium during 2006 and we see 2007 as the year of deployment across our geographic base.   We are delighted to be working with EMI and Rhythm NewMedia on this trial as great music content is of high appeal to our customers and therefore an important part of our future advertising offering.”   

Tony Wadsworth, Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK and Ireland, commented: "Consumers want to be able to enjoy music in many forms across a variety of different platforms.  At EMI, we are experimenting with a number of new and exciting business models to fulfill demand while at the same time ensuring that artists are fully compensated for their work. The advertising-supported model is currently generating a lot of interest, and we think we’ll learn more about what fans want from mobile music in this trial.  We’re pleased to be working with T-Mobile and Rhythm NewMedia on this test during such an exciting period of growth for the mobile music market."

”Making brand advertising better targeted and more frequency managed, is the biggest unaddressed opportunity in the $500 Billion+ worldwide advertising space. It provides enormous revenue potential for mobile operators," added Ujjal Kohli, CEO of Rhythm NewMedia. "Rhythm is delighted to support T-Mobile, and to be working with EMI again in this area."

This initiative builds on a similar trial that EMI and Rhythm kicked off in April of this year in North America, when EMI became the first major music company to experiment with ad-supported, on-demand and pre-programmed mobile video content.   

About T-Mobile International
T-Mobile International is one of the world’s leading companies in mobile communications. As one of Deutsche Telekom`s three strategic business units, T-Mobile concentrates on the most dynamic markets in Europe and the United States. By HY 2006, more than 90 million mobile customers were served by companies of the Deutsche Telekom group. And all that over a common technology platform based on GSM, the world’s most successful digital wireless standard. This also makes T-Mobile the only mobile communications provider with a seamless transatlantic service.  For more information about T-Mobile International, please visit: www.t-mobile.net.

About EMI Music 
EMI Music is the world’s largest independent music company, and part of London Stock Exchange-listed EMI Group plc. EMI Music UK’s labels include Angel Music, EMI Records, Parlophone and Virgin Records together with a catalogue division and numerous imprints and associated labels such as EMI Classics, Innocent, Blue Note jazz label, Heavenly Records, Relentless and dance label Positiva.  Please visit www.emimusic.co.uk, or www.emigroup.com  for more information.

About Rhythm NewMedia
Rhythm NewMedia is a company enabling ad-supported mobile media, end-to-end. Rhythm’s solution provides comprehensive mobile campaign management, and can support mobile advertising on video, WAP/HTML, search, and TV. Rhythm’s technology enables advertising that has broad reach, sharp targeting and precise frequency management. Rhythm automates key business processes and enables measurement and reporting to each member of the mobile advertising value chain. Rhythm is currently working with leading mobile operators, brands, content providers and advertising agencies worldwide.

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