DSTV, MTN go mobile on TV

By OFFIONG ENE

Mobile Phone users in two Nigerian cities: Abuja and Lagos can now watch DSTV on compatible mobile phones offered by MTN. DSTV is owned and operated in Nigeria by Multichoice Nigeria Limited.

MTN and DSTV Mobile, the country's biggest provider of satellite TV announced a deal last week that would allow MTN's 16 million subscribers to watch some of DSTV's favorite channel on the go.

The succesful launch would intensify the fiery race for dominance in Nigeria's evolving mobile TV market where rivals Glo already has a presence and Celtel is itching to join the turf.

The new move should heighten activity for content providers as mobile operators ignite their engines to meet subscribers increasing sophistication according to part of the findings by IT Edge Intelligence Unit.

With a special SIM card offered by MTN, a monthly subscription fee of one thousand, two hundred naira (N1, 200.00) about $10 and an access fee of one thousand naira (N1, 000.00), about $8, subscribers can now watch 10 DSTV channels on the move.

The channels which range from movies, music, news and entertainment have in its bouquet CNN, NTA2, Magic World, Channel O, Trinity Broadcast, Cartoon Network, Super Sport Update, Super Sport 9, Super Sport 3 and Africa Magic – a delight for both adults and children.

Technically, DSTV Mobile is delivered via a one-way dedicated broadcast network which is Multichoice and the digital video broadcasting-handheld (
DVB-H), supplied by MTN to provide digital and innovative content to both MTN and DSTV lovers.

Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Nigeria, Multichoice Nigeria Managing Director, Collins Kumalo said "the whole idea is to provide Nigeria with innovative television services on the move, so you can now watch live, DSTV on your phones."

Broadcasting its services on Ku band and C-band across the African continent, DSTV is Multichoice's multi-channel TV service greatly watched by millions of Africans.

Mobile TV combines the services of a mobile phone with television content and allows viewers to enjoy personalized and interactive TV. Viewers also get access to a variety of services like video streaming and video-on-demand as well.

MTN, one of Nigeria's biggest players in the market, has already recorded successes of this feat across Africa and the Middle East. And with a subscriber base of 40million, MTN is set to conquer the Nigerian telecommunications market that already has fierce giants like GLO, CELTEL and VISAFONE on ground.

Mobile TV: The rising questions on content and intellectual rights

By SEGUN ORUAME

By 2011, three years away from now, analysts project as many as 446 million mobile TV handsets will be shipped globally. A new market is opening for device makers deploying TV-capable mobile devices, for mobile TV network operators and for wireless operators supporting mobile TV handsets. While much of these actions would occur in the west and Asia, Africa notably Nigeria and South Africa with large mobile base subscription would also have a piece.

In Nigeria, the chicken is already coming to roost with Glo and MTN pushing broadcast content on their mobile Mobile TV window. MTN and its partner DSTV are pushing mobile TV through the Digital Video Broadcast Handheld (DVBH) technology which entails the use of specific handsets compatible with the DVBH technology. We should see the market expand for DVBH handsets in the next few months.

It is certain that mobile TV would pull a large follower-ship out of some 39 million subscribers currently connected to Nigeria's GSM networks. Operators could bank on between 10 to 20% of this mobile base to stream fresh revenue and butt their switches on new market model which does not necessarily have be the overall mantra of the telephony business.

But what is certain is that there would be a radical shift in revenue generation for mobile telcos and content, including TV or broadcast content would be key to these new earnings.

Take MTN new push in mobile TV through its deal with Multichoice Nigeria, promoter of the DSTV satellite offering in Africa's most populous country of 150 million people. A partnership of two leaders, the new deal promises to redefine TV viewing and set the tone for mobile services future in Nigeria. MTN leads Nigeria mobile market with about 15 million subscribers and DSTV practically controls over 98% of the satellite TV channels in Nigeria.

More than just taking mobile services to the next level, it would raise salient questions on intellectual rights on broadcast contents and the limit to which buyers of contents could extend acquired rights on such contents.

How far could DSTV go in showing Nigerian movie contents on its broadcast windows outside of the traditional TV box for which the owners of the Nollywood content had surrendered their intellectual property rights?

With broadcast content gleefully winning converts in highly mobile cities such as Lagos, would AIT gain or lose in view-ship for its news content. If it has a slot on the mobile bouquet on an MTN pipe, what is the commercial value of advertisement that formed part of its news content? Because advertisers would come and advert revenue would grow, the industry would have to define everyone's stake in the new mobile TV market.

For now, while mobile phone users in Abuja and Lagos could dial to watch 10 movies, music, news and entertainment channels including CNN, NTA2, Magic World, Channel O, Trinity Broadcast, Cartoon Network, Super Sport Update, Super Sport 9, Super Sport 3 and Africa Magic, the network operators and content owners would have to jaw-jaw over who has a stake in the projected new revenue stream. For now the chicken is only roosting in the nest of MTN and DSTV.

But the point must be missed. MTN new deal with Multichoice would expand the frontier of TV viewing and deepen the market for content providers. The mobile TV viewer would be as fickle as the Internet or web users ever moving from one site to another. To keep the subscriber glued to the tiny mobile screen, content providers would have to deepen the quality of programme they are bringing to the 'viewing-space.' Whether it is reality TV, soap operas or family game shows, a higher creative spark would be necessary to keep the mobile viewing audience glued to the tiny screens and maintain a steady revenue stream for all stakeholders: operators and content providers.

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