HBO and Cingular Make Mobisodes

 
By Stacy July 13, 2006




In what seems to be becoming a trend in television, HBO has signed a new deal with Cingular Wireless to carry mobile episodes of their hit show “Entourage”. Cingular Wireless is the number one cellular service provider in the US. As part of the deal HBO will make mobile episodes that are carried exclusively on Cingular Video.

The mobile episodes will not be clips or low quality but will star the same actors as the television show and be written by the same writers. It will also follow its own plot line, so it really is bonus material not seen anywhere else. The mobile episodes will follow a clever and ironic storyline of Johnny Drama making a made for mobile series. The series will be short segments appropriate for the platform. NBC did something similar with “The Office”, where the mobisodes followed a plot not connected to the main action of the series.

A recent press release by Cingular explained the deal clearly. Users must first subscribe to Cingular Video for around $14 then subscribe to HBO Mobile for around $5. I’m guessing these are monthly fees but I’m not sure. The release also discusses that for the first time full length episodes of "Entourage," "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "Dane Cook's Tourgasm" will be offered through a cellular service. I don’t know the pricing of the full episodes. The episodes will be divided into chapters for easy viewing and downloading.

The current use of mobile episodes, just as extensions of regular shows, might be a transition into original mobile episode series by major cable and network companies. I don’t know of any in the American market made by major producers but there are some in Europe and Asia. If anyone knows of any, let us know.

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