The World Cup in Your Phone

The TV4 Group has taken yet another big step - the company now offers all of its content in all platforms. Which is good timing for soccer fans in Sweden, who will be able to watch the World Cup live in their cell phones soon. All programming from TV4, TV4 Plus, TV400 and TV4 Fakta will be available direct in cell phones at the same time it is broadcast on traditional TV. The World Cup, the upcoming royal wedding and a range of films, sports and series on the four channels will be available for customers of mobile operators Telia, 3 and Tele2.

"This is a big and important step and something both consumers and operators have been asking for," says Otto Sjöberg, CEO for TV4 Expressen Mobilab. "Up until now, there has only been available a limited selection of TV shows. We are pioneers in this area, with TV4 in the forefront, offering the entire programming from four of our biggest TV channels on cell phones the same time it is broadcast on traditional TV."

Some 80 percent of Telia, 3 and Tele2 subscribers will be able to watch the channels in their phones already. The only requirement is a 3G telephone with support for mobile TV and a subscription that includes TV4's mobile TV. The operators simultaneously send the satellite TV signal of the four channels via the telephone network to subscribers. The broadcasts are identical to those on the normal channels.

"It feels great to be able to launch four TV channels directly to cell phones the same month that both the World Cup and Princess Victoria's Wedding are taking place," says Sjöberg. "Both of these events are extremely appropriate for watching in a cell phone, with a number of soccer games being shown during the day time and the wedding taking place while many people in Stockholm at least are walking around town.  Now you just need your cell phone to be able to follow either event - and to take advantage of all the programming from TV4 and the other three channels."