The deck debate--is it finally over?

The off-deck vs. on-deck debate may never be completely resolved, but it looks as if most players (content companies, aggregators and carriers) have decided that the two distribution channels can co-exist and operators can profit from both. This was certainly evident at a networking event I attended last night in Reston, Va., hosted by the Washington, D.C., chapter of MoMeMo (a group that brings together wireless and media industry executives).

At a panel held in conjunction with the meeting, Chris Brozenick, vice president, general manager for mobile at WeatherBug Mobile, said the company offers on-deck and off-deck content and both are doing well. Of course, it's widely known that weather is one of the most popular applications downloaded by wireless consumers. In fact, stats from the Online Publishers Association indicate that 53 percent of U.S. mobile web users access their wireless device for weather information. Brozenick says that the firm has one application, in particular, that costs $2.99 per month and is doing very well--attracting around 200,000 users per month. 

Like WeatherBug, Gannett Digital also has both on- and off-deck content. However, Matt Jones, director, mobile strategy and operations at Gannett, credits the company's success with off-deck content to its powerful brands, such as USA Today. Nevertheless, Jones believes that for off-deck to grow, consumer education is necessary.

"I think there needs to be more consumer education around deck vs. off-deck," Jones says. "On-deck is not going away." The firm has seen very strong success from an on-deck mobile Sudoku game. Jones says that the game costs $3.99 per month and attracts about 100,000 users. He noted that much of the game's success is attributed to the fact that it's available on the top deck of several operators and because it is based on the very popular puzzle game.

Interestingly, Will Buss, group manager, business development at Sprint Wireless Data, says that the company expects to see growth in both on-deck and off-deck content but he believes that on-deck will continue to be a big focus for Sprint. Specifically, Buss noted the carrier's commitment to original content development, such as sports footage its mobile crew produced at the Super Bowl. - Sue