Looking at SEE

It was only a matter of time before a U.S. carrier launched its own programming slate, and this week Sprint beat its rivals to the punch with the introduction of SEE [1] (Sprint Exclusive Entertainment), a network comprised of operator-produced, made-for-mobile original series spotlighting sports, music and entertainment news. According to Sprint, each on-demand SEE program averages about two minutes in length, with more than 150 different segments each week--Sprint produces the shows in a dedicated SEE studio, with on-air talent including pro football great Marshall Faulk (now an analyst with cable's NFL Network), former ESPN personalities Dave Revsine and Trev Alberts, and ex-VH1VJ Rachel Perry.

Like the old adage says, it's crucial to know your audience, and if SEE succeeds it will be because Sprint knows its consumer base so well. Sprint understands better than anyone what its Power Vision subscribers like and what they don't--not only what they watch, but when, where and for how long. As a mobile operator turning to content (as opposed to a content producer turning to mobile), Sprint also knows intimately the strengths and weaknesses of the wireless platform. Producing all SEE content in-house promises programming that conforms to the unique demands of the handset screen.  

If there's a major challenge facing SEE, it's star wattage. With the possible exception of Marshall Faulk, there's not a household name among the hosts; most of the other headliners--e.g. celebrity reporter Kelli Zink, Chicago Bears alum/ESPN Radio personality Tom Waddle and sports agent Drew Rosenhaus--are relative unknowns outside of their particular fields. To put it another way, no one's assembled this many no-names and has-beens since Comedy Central roasted Flavor Flav a couple months back, and in a celebrity-driven culture, SEE will need to attract marquee talent to capture viewers, especially given the overwhelming volume of sports, music and entertainment news content available across rival media platforms. Just because Sprint is producing SEE expressly for its subscribers doesn't automatically mean they're going to watch it. - Jason [2]

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