Mobile TV takes off in Italy

The Wall Street Journal is running a lengthy piece on the mobile TV sector in Italy that explains the relationships between the country's leading broadcaster, Mediaset and carriers Telecom Italia and Vodafone. Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi owns the DVB-H frequencies which his company Mediaset use to broadcast the mobile TV channels. Some key figures from the article:

• Mediaset spent $321.7 million rolling out the DVB-H network.
• Telecom Italia and Vodafone lease 25 percent of the network from Mediaset for €75 million for five years with an option for five more.
• 3 Italia is not joining forces with the group but building its own network instead, estimating costs at €220 million for the network and content acquisition another €10 million a year.

The article quotes Mediaset as saying the arrangement it has with the carriers is a win-win situation because carriers aren't trying to become broadcasters and vice-versa. However, an analyst chips in that the key to mobile TV in Italy is football and most importantly the World Cup. And 3 Italia has the exclusive rights for broadcasting the World Cup over mobile TV.

For more on Italy's flourishing mobile TV sector:
- see this WSJ article (sub. req.)