Results announced from one of the world's first commercial mobile TV pilots in Helsinki, Finland, reveal the popularity and willingness by consumers to pay for mobile TV services, underlining the potential of this exciting new mobile application. 41% of pilot participants said they would be willing to purchase mobile TV services and half thought that a fixed monthly fee of 10 euros was a reasonable price to pay. Over half (58%) said that they believed broadcast mobile TV services would be popular. Digita, Elisa, MTV, Channel Four Finland (Nelonen), Nokia, TeliaSonera Finland and YLE jointly conducted the pilot in Finland between March and June 2005 with 500 users accessing mobile TV using the Nokia 7710 smartphone and DVB-H technology. In general, mobile TV users spent approximately 20 minutes a day watching mobile TV, although more active users watched between 30 to 40 minutes per session. Meanwhile, live mobile TV broadcasts were a feature of the recent IAAF World Athletics Championships in Helsinki. Guests of the Finnish Mobile TV project were able to use DVB-H enabled mobile TV for the first time at an international sporting event. Public broadcaster YLE, which was hosting the Championships on behalf of the European Broadcasting Union, provided visitors with coverage from its two channels YLE TV1 and YLE TV2. In addition mobile TV users were able to access the international composite feed of the Championships alongside five dedicated channels for individual events.
Intelsat buys PanAmSat
Intelsat has reached a deal to acquire fellow satellite operator PanAmSat for $3.2bn in cash, valuing the company at $25 per share. The transaction, which requires PanAmSat shareholder approval, also needs clearances from relevant regulatory agencies, including US government antitrust authorities and the Federal Communications Commission. The companies anticipate the transaction could close in approximately six to 12 months. The new company will have a combined fleet of 53 satellites, offering expanded coverage with additional back-up satellites, to support fiber networks and enhanced operational capabilities for cable TV programmes, broadcasters, businesses, governments and consumers.
New submersible head for Polecam
The lightweight, portable jib-arm and broadcast camera system Polecam has launched a new submersible head called FishFace. Polecam's existing DiveBag allows the Polecam head to dip and shoot just below the surface of the water, which is more than adequate for most applications, but there is sometimes a requirement to shoot deeper down. FishFace is a completely submersible pan and tilt head and camera housing sold as an alternative head for the rig. The housing will accommodate the normal standard definition cameras sold with Polecam, and suitable remote head high def cameras. The head can be used to a depth of around 4 metres (13 feet) on the Polecam although it can be used away from the Polecam up to a depth of 10m (33'). The head sits at the end of the Polecam carbon fibre boom, configurable in length from 1.5 to 6 metres (5 to 20 feet). Live transition air-water-air shots are possible. This was used to great effect on the diving at the Athens Olympics, and now with the submersible head, the camera can go much deeper.
Salford Reds win with mobile tickets!
Leading UK ticketing technology provider ts.com has teamed up with its partners Trinity Mobile and Gavitec to pilot the latest in SMS event ticketing for the Salford City Reds Rugby Club. Fans were able to use their mobile phones to get entry to the home game win against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on Friday 19 August. The SMS ticketing pilot comes as an addition to the multichannel ticketing service ts.com has been providing the club during the 2005 season, which has enabled fans to buy over the web, phone and on the day of the game. Working with Trinity Mobile, providers of the latest high performance phone scanning kiosks and Gavitec, suppliers of specialist barcode readers, ts.com was able to offer Salford Reds' fans the opportunity to receive a mobile ticket via SMS for the first time. Fans received a ticket on their mobile handset, which included a 2D matrix barcode containing data unique to the ticket holder and event. The bespoke ticketing service meant that tickets could be sent to all makes of phone and could also be scanned and verified from all phones at stadium access control points. Scanning during the pilot had a 99% success rate compared with only 50% achieved during previous trials using traditional scanning hardware. At the ground, the mobile ticket was not only discounted from the normal ticket price, it also acted as a promotional voucher entitling the customer to a free beer or burger.
Radio system for SPORTELMonaco
Participants at SPORTELMonaco 2005 will be kept informed of news and events during the October market via an innovative in-house radio service. Delegates will receive a free personal radio device in their delegates’ bags that will provide access to news and information on the market and inform them when symposium panels and special press events are taking place. The information content will include audio retransmissions of excerpts from the Georges Bertellotti Golden Podium Awards Ceremony; up to date information on symposiums, seminars and evening functions; excerpts and clips of sports commentary and other selected sporting highlights.
Premier Bet acquisition
Interactive Gaming Holdings has acquired the business and assets of London-based fixed odds bookmaker Premier Bet for £1m. Under the deal, the group will issue 5,555,555 Ordinary Shares; as well as issue a £500,000 3% convertible unsecured loan note 2008 convertible at 15 pence per share, Premier Bet specialises in soccer betting and its current target market is the sophisticated, knowledgeable and value seeking customer. Premier Bet commenced trading in May 2002 and now has over 36,000 registered users. The company reported gross betting turnover of £24.7m in fiscal year 2004. Meanwhile, GamesGrid, (www.gamesgrid.com) the next generation poker room, has launched the world's first and only poker software specifically written for Macintosh users. Developed by CyberArts in California the new software has been exclusively licensed to Malta-based Skill Games which operates the GamesGrid brand. The new software is now available in beta version, and is set for a worldwide launch in early September 2005.
PFA in ProTech deal
The Professional Footballer’s Association, the world’s longest established professional sportsmen’s union, will be implementing Pro-7 – specialist record management software from ProTech Computer Systems, for managing educational awards and grants. The new project – valued in the region of £50,000 - will use Pro-7 to extend the PFA’s membership system to include the recording and management of educational and vocational qualifications achieved by professional footballers and the grants/loans provided by the PFA to support them. Pro-7 will also record and help maintain crucial business information such as the sale of financial products and the issuing of loans and grants to members. Furthermore, Pro-7 can also act as a prospect management system for the PFA.
New deals for PA Sport
PA Sport, a leading sports news and information provider, has announced an expansion of its data services and content agreement with FIBA Europe, the international governing body for basketball in Europe. Under the new deal, PA Sport will supply FIBA Europe with extensive basketball data covering fixtures, results and tables, plus bespoke news and feature content for its website fibaeurope.com. In addition, the publication rights will now be extended to cover FIBA Europe’s planned WAP service. Meanwhile, PA Sport has secured its first customer in South Korea with the signing of a soccer data content agreement with mobile and broadband syndication company, Eclat Entertainment. Specialising in sports and entertainment content for Korean mobile users, Eclat Entertainment provides SMS and WAP services as well as live streaming of soccer, basketball and baseball footage. PA Sport will be providing Eclat Entertainment with its Actim-branded, real-time player and team statistics during all English Premier League games. With the recent transfer of Korean player Ji-Sung Park to Manchester United, interest in English Premier League soccer has risen to unprecedented levels in the country.
New Sundayleague.com game launched
The new version of the world’s leading online soccer management game has been launched. Sundayleague.com 5.0 will be welcomed by the vibrant community of 1.3m soccer-mad managers who log on daily to compete against others worldwide. SundayLeague.com is available on websites like Manutd.com, Chelseafc.com, Arsenal.com, Liverpoolfc.tv, planetfootball.co.uk and almost every top soccer portal and club site in the UK. Recent additions to the network include West Ham, Southampton, Eurosport and the League Managers Association. Over 100 new features include; new graphic interface, prediction Leagues, a new auction system for buying players on the transfer market, live customer support and more in-depth tactical options. Managers can even affect their team’s play with their choice of boots! SundayLeague remains free to play, but for a one-off payment of as little as £1.50, Sunday League Managers can become community members. This entitles the member to bonus credits, downloads, a member's only forum, and the chance organise private leagues with friends and colleagues online.
Nokia plays a mean pinball
Nokia has announced that Mile High Pinball's official website has gone live with game trailers, screenshots and wireless downloads. Developed exclusively for the N-Gage platform, Mile High Pinball offers an in-depth mobile pinball experience. Mile High Pinball takes full advantage of the N-Gage Arena with tournaments and customisation options, and the official website adds to the experience. Players will be able to see their rankings, view and download user-created pinball boards, and check out the characteristics of the different pinballs online through the official website. These features are expected to be available on the website when Mile High Pinball ships to stores. Mile High Pinball is developed by Bonus.com, and brings players non-stop pinball action with boss levels, power up items and more than 80 stages. Mile High Pinball is expected to be available before the Christmas festive season.
Page from ArkSports' Sport and Technology (www.sportandtechnology.com) on 2008-11-21 : News - September 2005 : http://www.sportandtechnology.com/news/0302.html
Results announced from one of the world's first commercial mobile TV pilots in Helsinki, Finland, reveal the popularity and willingness by consumers to pay for mobile TV services, underlining the potential of this exciting new mobile application. 41% of pilot participants said they would be willing to purchase mobile TV services and half thought that a fixed monthly fee of 10 euros was a reasonable price to pay. Over half (58%) said that they believed broadcast mobile TV services would be popular. Digita, Elisa, MTV, Channel Four Finland (Nelonen), Nokia, TeliaSonera Finland and YLE jointly conducted the pilot in Finland between March and June 2005 with 500 users accessing mobile TV using the Nokia 7710 smartphone and DVB-H technology. In general, mobile TV users spent approximately 20 minutes a day watching mobile TV, although more active users watched between 30 to 40 minutes per session. Meanwhile, live mobile TV broadcasts were a feature of the recent IAAF World Athletics Championships in Helsinki. Guests of the Finnish Mobile TV project were able to use DVB-H enabled mobile TV for the first time at an international sporting event. Public broadcaster YLE, which was hosting the Championships on behalf of the European Broadcasting Union, provided visitors with coverage from its two channels YLE TV1 and YLE TV2. In addition mobile TV users were able to access the international composite feed of the Championships alongside five dedicated channels for individual events. 
Leading UK ticketing technology provider ts.com has teamed up with its partners Trinity Mobile and Gavitec to pilot the latest in SMS event ticketing for the Salford City Reds Rugby Club. Fans were able to use their mobile phones to get entry to the home game win against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on Friday 19 August. The SMS ticketing pilot comes as an addition to the multichannel ticketing service ts.com has been providing the club during the 2005 season, which has enabled fans to buy over the web, phone and on the day of the game. Working with Trinity Mobile, providers of the latest high performance phone scanning kiosks and Gavitec, suppliers of specialist barcode readers, ts.com was able to offer Salford Reds' fans the opportunity to receive a mobile ticket via SMS for the first time. Fans received a ticket on their mobile handset, which included a 2D matrix barcode containing data unique to the ticket holder and event. The bespoke ticketing service meant that tickets could be sent to all makes of phone and could also be scanned and verified from all phones at stadium access control points. Scanning during the pilot had a 99% success rate compared with only 50% achieved during previous trials using traditional scanning hardware. At the ground, the mobile ticket was not only discounted from the normal ticket price, it also acted as a promotional voucher entitling the customer to a free beer or burger. 
PA Sport, a leading sports news and information provider, has announced an expansion of its data services and content agreement with FIBA Europe, the international governing body for basketball in Europe. Under the new deal, PA Sport will supply FIBA Europe with extensive basketball data covering fixtures, results and tables, plus bespoke news and feature content for its website fibaeurope.com. In addition, the publication rights will now be extended to cover FIBA Europe’s planned WAP service. Meanwhile, PA Sport has secured its first customer in South Korea with the signing of a soccer data content agreement with mobile and broadband syndication company, Eclat Entertainment. Specialising in sports and entertainment content for Korean mobile users, Eclat Entertainment provides SMS and WAP services as well as live streaming of soccer, basketball and baseball footage. PA Sport will be providing Eclat Entertainment with its Actim-branded, real-time player and team statistics during all English Premier League games. With the recent transfer of Korean player Ji-Sung Park to Manchester United, interest in English Premier League soccer has risen to unprecedented levels in the country.
Nokia has announced that Mile High Pinball's official website has gone live with game trailers, screenshots and wireless downloads. Developed exclusively for the N-Gage platform, Mile High Pinball offers an in-depth mobile pinball experience. Mile High Pinball takes full advantage of the N-Gage Arena with tournaments and customisation options, and the official website adds to the experience. Players will be able to see their rankings, view and download user-created pinball boards, and check out the characteristics of the different pinballs online through the official website. These features are expected to be available on the website when Mile High Pinball ships to stores. Mile High Pinball is developed by Bonus.com, and brings players non-stop pinball action with boss levels, power up items and more than 80 stages. Mile
