Always On Network News
Verizon announced a deal today that gives it exclusive rights to offer YouTube on a mobile service. It's the first big wireless distribution deal Google's inked for YouTube since acquiring the site.
Verizon customers will be able to access a mobile version of YouTube next month.
The partnership gives Verizon a definitive advantage over its rivals--Cingular, the rural telcos--in mobile entertainment. But the results of a new survey by Forrester Research, announced today, raise questions about how much coveted young subscribers care about watching TV on their mobiles.
Forrester found that American 12-21 year olds value phone service quality and price over newer, fancier features. While a small minority of those polled said they had the money and inclination to use a mobile phone to consume entertainment content, the vast majority wanted to use their mobile phones exclusively for texting and talking.
Some day some service provider will pull ahead of the competition by offering better entertainment. But the YouTube deal may come too early to help Verizon steal customers away from Cingular.
For more details, see the Wall Street Journal story.
By,
Michael Stroud
Columnist, Always On Network
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