Player X expands into mobile video with Barclays English Premier League rights
Mobile games publisher Player X has expanded into mobile video following the $7 million (£4 million) investment by venture capital company Arts Alliance and Bullion International.
As part of its investment in Player X, Bullion International has granted to Player X the exclusive mobile wireless licence for the Barclays English Premier League in six countries including China, Denmark, Finland, Faroe Islands, Holland and Norway for the 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons. Bullion international has acquired these rights from The FA Premier League in August 2004 and has already launched local services in Holland, Norway and Denmark.
The rights granted to Player X include in-match, match, preview and round-up packages for all weekend and midweek matches. Player X expects to launch additional services in more countries in the forthcoming weeks.
Features available include 30-second clips that can be viewed five minutes after incidents such as goals, saves and action updates. Viewers can also access half-time and full-time packages that are available until midnight the following day.
"This is great news for the company and we are excited about mobile video and where's it's going to take us. For now though, it's not where we're going, but from where we're starting from and what better place to begin than the most exciting football league in the world," said Tony Pearce, CEO of Player X.
Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Scudamore, added: "The English Premier League has always embraced technological developments that give fans the widest range of options to enjoy the very best Premier League action. This partnership further enhances our ability to meet the increasing global demand for Premier League football via a growing medium."
Since launching in 1992, the Premier League competition has attracted players and fans from all over the world. Players from 84 different countries have played in the competition since it began and the Premier League competition is seen live on television in more than 195 countries with broadcasters regularly scheduling more than 1,380 hours in each week of the season.
The mobile entertainment market is maturing rapidly as operators are now looking beyond games to expand their entertainment portfolio. Their investment in mobile video means the market is growing rapidly as 3G services mean customers can now access quality video content on sophisticated handsets.
www.playerx.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Player X publishes and distributes wireless entertainment content through global operators, retailers, internet portals and handset manufacturers.
Since its formation in 2004, Player X has already successfully published leading games and mobile entertainment content onto the largest mobile operators in the industry and rapidly achieved levels of distribution in the key territories around the world.