FLO TV Incorporated, provider of the FLO TV™ live mobile TV service and a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced that the FLO TV service will expand its service nationwide following the DTV transition on June 12, which frees up broadband spectrum for FLO TV’s dedicated network. FLO TV will expand into 39 new markets, offering its service to an additional 60 million customers with a total reach of more than 100 major markets and more than 200 million potential consumers nationwide by the end of 2009. This will complete FLO TV’s creation of the only dedicated, linear, live mobile TV network, allowing consumers to access broadcast-quality news, sports and entertainment on their mobile devices. Fifteen new markets will go live immediately following the DTV transition on June 12, bringing service to major markets such as Boston, Houston, Miami and San Francisco, while others will follow throughout the year. In addition to adding new markets, immediately upon the transition, FLO TV also will expand service in existing markets including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, DC. “The DTV transition is a milestone for TV lovers everywhere; with the completion of FLO TV’s nationwide network, consumers across the country now have the ability to watch TV on the go with the same high quality they’d expect in their living rooms,” said Bill Stone, president of FLO TV. ”With this national coverage, we are poised to take on the next level of consumer engagement by bringing the FLO TV service to customers on multiple entertainment devices beyond the mobile phone.” In January, FLO TV announced that it has teamed with Audiovox, the marketer of automotive entertainment systems, to be the exclusive supplier of in-vehicle units that will work with a car’s existing video viewing equipment to enable passengers to watch FLO TV in their cars. In addition, Audiovox also will produce the only FLO TV-ready overhead drop down video as well as head rest systems units in the market. Continued cooperation with leading companies will ensure that FLO TV is available to consumers across multiple platforms in conjunction with the expansion in service coverage. The FLO TV service is delivered using a technology that delivers video over the company’s own dedicated mobile network, offering full-length simulcast and time-shifted programming from some of the world’s top entertainment brands including CBS, ESPN, FOX, MTV and NBC. FLO TV also offers original content, having last month announced a deal with famed video blogger Amanda Congdon to bring exclusive content to subscribers. Mobile TV Usage on the Rise According to a recent report by Nielsen, mobile video viewing grew 52 percent in Q1 2009 compared with the previous year.* FLO TV market research shows that viewers who watch the FLO TV service are spending an average of more than 25 minutes per day watching television on their phones. This is comparable to the average time U.S. cell phone users spend per day talking on their cell phones, according to CTIA’s Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey 2008. The appeal of FLO TV’s live programming is illustrated by a consistent pattern of increased viewership and consumer demand for major sporting and significant news events including an increase of 80 percent or more during the Presidential Inauguration and the 2008 Summer Olympics (exclusive programming to AT&T). The FLO TV service is available on the top two U.S. wireless carriers, including AT&T as AT&T Mobile TV. Read More...
