According to a recent press release from Kongzhong, the Chinese WVAS provider has reached an agreement with the NBA to stream live NBA games over the mobile networks at CN.NBA.COM. Under the agreement, Kongzhong will also "provide video clips of NBA game highlights, the latest news, scores, game and player updates, player interviews, blogs, TV schedules, wallpapers, and ring tones." According to the press release, this WAP site will be "the first-ever official NBA site on mobile phones".
Beginning on December 1, 2006, Hutchison Whampoa's mobile operator arm, 3, will offer Sling Media's place-shifting software as part of a flat rate package of wireless applications called "X-Series." As mentioned in a recent BusinessWeek article, X-Series will initially be launched in Britain, and will also include other third-party applications which mobile operators have largely avoided partnerships with such as Orb (another place-shifting application), Skype, and three of the top instant messaging applications Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and MSN Messenger.
It was recently reported that China will "force operators to use a homegrown mobile TV standard, STiMi (which stands for Satellite Terrestrial Interactive Multi-service Infrastructure)." As was the case for WAPI and for TD-SCDMA (two other Chinese technology standards that the Chinese government is helping to develop), the Chinese government is aiming to 1) reduce reliance on foreign technologies and thus lower patent fees Chinese companies have to pay in the long run, 2) develop a globally accepted technology standard and receive licensing fees for it, and 3) show the world how technologically advanced and great China has become.
The Wall Street Journal recently ran an article by Terrence Poon entitled "China Sets Technical Standard For Content on Mobile Devices" (subscription required to read full article). Maverick analyst Dave Carini commented on mobile TV competition and standards in China:
SARFT (State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television), China’s main regulatory body governing the media, recently issued mobile TV licenses to China Radio International and China National Radio. With four of China’s largest media companies now holding mobile TV licenses (including Shanghai Media Group and CCTV) and none issued to China’s telecom operators and WVAS providers, it’s clear that SARFT is winning the power struggle over the MII (China’s main telecom regulator) in controlling the mobile TV industry in China. For foreign media companies, infrastructure vendors, and investors, this distinction will be very important as the industry develops because the two government regulators have a different set of regulations regarding foreign investments and market entry.
