Channel 4 goes gaming
Buongiorno provides broadcaster with first mobile games offering
25 November
Channel 4's interactive division, 4Interactive, has partnered with leading European digital media company Buongiorno to provide Channel 4 viewers with mobile games for the first time. Visitors to the broadcaster's website will be able to download Java games such as Spiderman 2, Garfield and Olympio Challenge to play on their mobile phones. The service builds on the Channel 4's online games offering and is available on www.channel4.com/entertainment/games.
Viewers can choose between a range of five different mobile games, which can be purchased either over the phone or via text at a cost of £4.50 each. In addition, a 'game of the week' will be selected and reviewed on the website, providing consumers with an inside guide on how to play, along with a user rating.
Andy Taylor, head of 4Interactive said: "Channel 4 viewers have a strong appetite for online games and it is a sensible next step to provide them with entertainment they can carry with them on their mobiles. We are delighted to be offering this new service and believe Buongiorno's track record in the mobile content arena makes them the perfect partner."
Burton Katz, managing director of Buongiorno UK, added: "Channel 4 has always been at the cutting edge of UK broadcasting, continually exploring new and innovative ways of entertaining and engaging its audiences. The new mobile games offering reinforces this theme."
The material provided to Channel 4 is part of Buongiorno Vitaminic's extensive catalogue of licensed content, which includes Superman2, South Park cartoon characters from MTV Networks International, Grand Prix sports news and 400,000 music tracks available via agreements with 1500 record companies. In its role as an aggregator between telecoms and media companies, Buongiorno Vitaminic distributes these through multi-channel marketing strategies.
The company is also able to cover the entire IMS value channel, from the technical development of solid proprietary applications (messaging and alerting SMS and MMS platforms), through content development with partners, to the management of marketing and CRM services.
Wireless Magazine currently values the European market for premium SMS, MMS, logos, ringtones and Java games at around Euro 100 million. In addition, research from international analysts, the Arc Group, forecasts that by 2008, the global mobile entertainment industry could generate revenues of $27 billion, of which $2 billion come from downloadable Java games.
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About Buongiorno Vitaminic:
Buongiorno Vitaminic SpA (Italy, techSTAR, Borsa Italiana: BVIT) is a leading European media company in the market of design, production and/or aggregation and distribution of multimedia content, mainly in the field of entertainment services via e-mail and telephone.
In addition to operating with local teams in Europe (Italy, the UK, Spain and Portugal, France, Germany, Austria) and in Mexico, Buongiorno Vitaminic also works in the Middle East and South Africa through distribution partnerships with major mobile operators.
The Group closed 2003 with a Value of Production of Euro 55.37 million, and a positive gross operating margin (Ebitda) of Euro 518K; the Group expects to achieve an organic turnover growth by over 30% for 2004, with a 10% Ebitda margin and a positive free cash flow.
On June, 10th 2004, Buongiorno Vitaminic signed the agreement for the purchase of the 95.1% of the share capital of Gsmbox SpA, one of the leading mobile media companies in Italy and Spain, leader in interaction and TV participation segment. Consequently to the transaction, and together with the above mentioned objectives, Buongiorno Vitaminic forecasts 2004 pro-forma revenues (based on the total year pro-forma consolidation) equal to Euro 80 millions.
The company operates with two business lines - digital marketing services and value-added consumer services for wired and wireless telephony - whose synergies enhance the content aggregation of digital marketing and technology management skills of a team of over 350 professionals in Europe, coming from 18 different countries.
For further information:
Kate Alexander/Katrina Walker
Spreckley Partners Ltd
Tel: +44 (0)20 7388 9988