Mobile ESPN was a Mobile Virtual Network Operator offerred by ESPN and carried on the Sprint's EVDO wireless network. The handsets offered were the Sanyo MVP and the Samsung ACE. Service began in the US on November 25 2005, with a formal launch date of February 5, 2006, Super Bowl Sunday. With the service, ESPN offered phone service, sports-focused mobile video, and other exclusive content. In September 2006 ESPN announced that they would discontinue the service although it would still be made available for current subscribers until December.
Mobile ESPN's key feature was a sports application that could access news, highlights, and scores. The Java-based application was able to provide real-time scores, such that the phone was frequently five or more seconds ahead of a television broadcast in updating scores. The application was also integrated with a SMS service, so that the user was able to receive an alert whenever a favorite team scores or some other newsworthy event occurs.
The content was managed by an editorial team that created original content and repurposed content from ESPN.com's web site to fit the phone format. The majority of content on ESPN.com was also available on Mobile ESPN.
OnSeptember 2, 2006, Mobile ESPN streamed the first live sporting event ever delivered to a mobile phone in the United States. Fans watched live coverage from Ann Arbor as Michigan defeated Vanderbilt, 27-7.
Mobile ESPN had only one phone available at launch, the Sanyo MVP, that retailed for as much as US$399. By July 2006, the handset was available for free with a rebate and a two-year commitment to the service. In summer 2006, ESPN rolled out the Samsung ACE, which resembled Motorola's RAZR phones and would ultimately replace the MVP.
The lowest price plan offered at launch was a US$34.95 plan that only included 100 minutes and no bonuses such as free nights and weekends. The lowest plan comparable to that offered by major carriers was a $64.95 plan which included 400 minutes of talk time and unlimited nights and weekends. In May 2006, new plans were rolled out at various price points, including a $40 monthly plan with 400 anytime minutes, free nights and weekends, and stripped-down data service. Though the cost of the full-service, 400 minute plan remained $64.95, the end result was that users were allowed more freedom to pick and choose the services they wanted.
At first, ESPN Mobile phones were only available at retailers such as Best Buy. Later, service became available in Sprint stores in June 2006.
Early results for Mobile ESPN were disappointing. Initially, ESPN was reported to have projected as much as 240,000 subscribers for the service, but the Wall Street Journal reported that Mobile ESPN had fewer than 10,000 subscribers. Merrill Lynch analysts considered Mobile ESPN to have "failed" and recommended that investors urge ESPN owner Disney to discontinue the service. It was estimated that Mobile ESPN and Disney Mobile combined would lose $135 million over the 2006 fiscal year.[1] ESPN had initially reaffirmed its commitment to the product, stating that they expected that price cuts in handsets, increased marketing efforts, and other incentives for customers would prove to be successful. However, on September 28, 2006, ESPN announced it would be discontinuing the service to take effect by the end of the year. [2] Those who had subscribed to long-term plans will receive refunds from ESPN, and the network will try to license the service to other providers.[3]
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