Disney

Disney still wishing on mobile content's star

Jason Ankeny — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:48:05 -0400

The Walt Disney Internet Group is poised to launch a new mobile effort featuring a digital content storefront, an IM chat system and widgets, Forbes reports. In September, WDIG will begin to more closely integrate its mobile website with its online services, introducing a registration system that enables users to access their Disney.com profiles via mobile device--a retail portal boasting Disney games, ringtones and wallpapers will follow, and from there The Mouse will also port its Speed Chat messaging solution to the mobile platform. Additional plans for Disney to introduce mobile games and widgets tied to its film and television franchises, including a virtual pixie world scheduled to debut imminently. A mobile game tied to the Pirates of the Caribbean online site will also roll out in September or October, with real-time mobile polls and trivia games waiting in the wings.

Disney is no stranger to the mobile platform, of course--despite shuttering the Disney Mobile MVNO in the fall of 2007, WDIG has maintained a high profile on wireless, in 2008 alone introducing a Japanese MVNO, an ad-supported mobile portal and a mobile incarnation of its Radio Disney broadcast network. WDIG's executive vice president of business development and operations Larry Shapiro tells Forbes he believes more than 50 percent of 10-year-olds in the U.S. own phones, and Disney wants to "own" those mobile customers. "It's about creating a connected media world," Shapiro says. "If you want to reach tweens, you need mobile."

For more on Disney's mobile future:
- read this Forbes article

Disney creates new multi-platform digital media group

Jason Ankeny — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:47:51 -0400

The Walt Disney Company will combine its Walt Disney Internet group mobile and online gaming division with its Interactive Studios unit to create the Disney Interactive Media Group, a multi-platform effort that will "take advantage of rapid advancements in interactive digital media across all platforms as well as the convergence of connected console, Internet and mobile-based games," according to a leaked memo from Disney CEO Robert Iger. WDIG head Steve Wadsworth will lead the new division, which the Iger memo says "will have global responsibility for development and distribution of all Disney-branded interactive digital media and entertainment for all digital interactive platforms...The uniqueness of the Disney brand provides us an opportunity and an imperative to create a unified Disney-branded experience and community across all connected devices. Additionally, as console and handheld games become more connected to the Internet, and as Internet and mobile become increasingly robust destinations for games and a range of interactive entertainment, we are taking this opportunity to integrate these activities.

For more on the Disney Interactive Media Group:
- read this Develop article

Related articles:
Radio Disney goes mobile
Disney debuts ad-supported mobile portal
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Radio Disney goes mobile

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

The Walt Disney Internet Group's mDisney mobile content division and the Radio Disney broadcast network announced the launch of a new Radio Disney mobile website and texting program targeting tween listeners. The Radio Disney mobile site includes real-time, on-air content and lists of the last 10 songs played and local Radio Disney affiliates--users may also send shout-outs, request songs, view the network's current Top 30 playlist and participate in polls. According to Radio Disney, 40 percent of U.S. tweens now have mobile phones.

For more on the Radio Disney mobile website:
- read this release

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Disney debuts ad-supported mobile portal
Disney expands European mobile gaming efforts
Disney signs on with Softbank for Japanese MVNO
Walt Disney to launch MVNO in U.K.

SPOTLIGHT: Content vs. carriers at Mobile Entertainment Live!

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:59:54 -0400

Content vs. carriers at Mobile Entertainment Live!

Jason Ankeny — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:03:39 -0400

Content squared off against carriers at Monday's Mobile Entertainment Live! event as Walt Disney Internet Group executive vice president of development and operations Larry Shapiro debated Virgin Mobile USA general counsel and founder Peter Lurie on the present state of the mobile content industry. According to data supplied by Nielsen Mobile and cited by moderator Tom Wheeler, managing director of Core Capital Partners, about 90 percent of wireless subscribers now have devices capable of doing more than making phone calls, but only 33 percent of subscribers pay for data plans and only 13 percent use them regularly. Per Lurie, the problem is that mobile content is now between eras, with the first generation of services like ringtones hitting a plateau while the next evolution, like mobile video and over-the-air downloads, is still not ripe for mass-market adoption. "The problem is that products are designed from the content owner's perspective, and not with consumers in mind," Lurie said.

But Shapiro contended the problem lies in content access and pricing. "It's still difficult to buy a ringtone because of the bizarre and complicated pricing structure," he said, arguing unlimited data plans and other more creative approaches to billing can remove consumer resistance to purchasing mobile content. "Carriers have a significant role to play in billing solutions--there's a huge value-add they can provide in that environment, but instead they spend their time picking out home-run content." Lurie's reponse: "I haven't seen any content owner willing to take a share of an unlimited data plan. There are too many hands grasping at revenue." Shapiro nevertheless called for a greater measure of pricing flexibility: "We're forced into a paradigm where games are $6.99 or $7.99--instead, let's value-price it, bundle it, or do subscriptions," he said. "There's not much flexibility allowed at any carrier to play with business models and consumer propositions."

Lurie said that many mobile content offerings fail to maximize the possibilities of the wireless platform: "I find that content is delivered in the way the content owner wants it delivered," he said. "The promise of mobile is instant gratification, on-demand delivery and personalization. That's where we can distinguish our content offerings. Customer experiences need to be functional and value-oriented." But Shapiro argued some carriers don't even fully comprehend the behaviors and tastes of their subscribers, citing the example of an unnamed operator executive who rejected a suite of mobile content offerings based on the hit ABC drama Lost because the exec did not watch the series and therefore deemed it "not right" for customers.

Asked by Wheeler his opinion of open access efforts, Lurie replied that for a pay-as-you-go carrier like Virgin Mobile USA, secure handsets are absolutely imperative. "We don't require contracts, so if our handsets aren't secure, we can't subsidize them," he said. "Prices would quadruple." Shapiro said he could not fault Lurie's argument: "Subsidies are a uniquely American phenomenon, and unless there's a radical shift in the business, it's going to stay that way."

ALSO NOTED: Disney teaming with Japanese animators for multi-platform programming; M6 to offer unlimited mobile TV plan via Ora

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:59:53 -0500

> Disney teaming with Japanese animators for multi-platform programming. Article

> M6 to offer unlimited mobile TV plan via Orange. Article

> The Bible goes mobile via Pelephone. Article

And finally… Girl Scout cookie sales move to eBay. Article

SPOTLIGHT: Of mice and mobile

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Former Disney head Michael Eisner's rebirth as a digital media mogul. Article

ALSO NOTED: Disney Mobile MVNO launches via Japanese operator Softbank; Social.FM inks distribution deal with Handmark; and muc

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:59:53 -0500

> Disney Mobile MVNO launches via Japanese operator Softbank. Article

> Social.FM inks distribution deal with Handmark. Release

> Tira Wireless rolls out new distribution service. Release

And finally…Monkey terrorizes Spokane. Article

SPOTLIGHT: The short view

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Forecasting the future of Disney-ABC's new Stage 9 Digital Media unit. Article

Disney-ABC intros Stage 9 Digital Media unit

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

The Disney-ABC Television Group announced the launch of Stage 9 Digital Media, a new unit dedicated to the creation of original short-form programming. Stage 9 will make its bow via the comedy series Squeegees, which has its Toyota-sponsored premiere Feb. 28 on ABC.com and YouTube; from there, the studio has more than 20 comedies, dramas, animated series and reality programs in the pipeline, with programming slated for distribution across multiple digital platforms including mobile, online, social networks and download services. Stage 9 will also team with Disney-ABC International Television on global digital distribution.

"While the new media space is loaded with UGC, we feel the audience is missing the quality experience found in other forms of exhibition, and we are answering their need," said Stage 9 general manager Barry Jossen in a prepared statement. "This creative frontier gives us the opportunity to develop new franchises, discover and develop talent and, most importantly, expand the standard of excellence set by our parent company in creating superior episodic programming with great stories and production values."

For more on Stage 9 Digital Media:
- read this release

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Disney debuts ad-supported mobile portal

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:59:55 -0500

The Walt Disney Internet Group launched a new ad-supported mobile content portal, Disney.co.uk. The Mouse said the portal features Disney Arcade, which offers about 60 games, the majority of them free. Other dedicated areas of the site feature movies, music, TV and community features, with jump navigation enabling single-click movement between them. Besides an emphasis on popular Disney franchises including Hannah Montana and Pirates of the Caribbean, WDIG also promises a "distinct" editorial style, enabling users to build and interact with social communities and personalize the site. Disney said it is working with operators to make the portal accessible directly via their branded portals. "Disney is uniquely positioned to provide this type of service because our customers engage not only with our extensive range of entertainment experiences, but with our brand itself--which is trusted to deliver high quality family entertainment," said WDIG's senior VP and managing director for EMEA Cindy Rose in a prepared statement.

For more on the Disney WAP portal:
- read this release

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Disney expands European mobile gaming efforts
Disney signs on with Softbank for Japanese MVNO
Walt Disney to launch MVNO in U.K.

Is Disney's Japanese MVNO too Goofy to succeed?

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Both Google and The Walt Disney Co. made significant inroads into the Japanese mobile market this week, but just because the two American media giants are moving into the Far East doesn't mean they're traveling in the same direction. Google announced a partnership with Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo to deliver search services and search-related advertisements to the carrier's i-mode subscribers; the web services giant also will collaborate with DoCoMo to enhance the user-friendliness of i-mode services, as well as introduce keyword-based advertisements employing the Google AdWords platform. A joint mobile marketing effort is also under discussion, and chances are good DoCoMo will eventually bring to market handsets based on Google's fledgling Android mobile OS.

The DoCoMo deal follows on a similar 2006 partnership with rival Japanese operator KDDI. Together, the two carriers account for about 80 percent of Japan's 100 million-subscriber wireless market, giving Google a huge boost in its effort to dominate the mobile search category and, by extension, reap the majority of revenues from associated advertisements. According to DoCoMo executive vice president Kiyoyuki Tsujimura, the operator is expecting the Google deal to boost their shared search-related ad revenues to $94 million "as soon as possible." But a recent Information Week feature reports Google is treading carefully in its efforts to monetize its mobile services; some, like mobile Gmail, will remain commercial-free for the foreseeable future. "There are no ads for [mobile] Gmail because it deteriorates the user experience," said Google product manager Takeshi Kishimoto. "If this screen gets bigger and we find that ads actually improve the user experience--for instance, showing the related data or ads to help people find a restaurant--we will introduce the ads as part of the service." Added John Lagerling, who heads Google's strategic partner development in Tokyo, "The value of being in Japan is the depth of available content that is formatted for mobile phones. That means we can study how users traverse the different types of content with a very good sample size."

While Google is looking to apply what it learns in Japan to its U.S. mobile efforts, Disney is looking to make sure it doesn't repeat the mistakes it made over here as it launches a new MVNO over there…or at least that's the plan. The company announced this week it will launch Disney Mobile on March 1 in conjunction with Japanese operator Softbank Mobile. The Japanese MVNO's scheduled debut follows roughly six months after Disney pulled the plug on its U.S. Disney Mobile effort and more than a year after it benched its Mobile ESPN venture, but both the operational structure and the demographic focus are far different this time around. For one thing, Softbank Mobile will assume responsibility over all the back-end operations, including customer service and sales; Disney Mobile also will be available via major electronics retailers as well as its own website.

That all makes sense. Far less certain is Disney Mobile's target audience: adult women, not children. Disney Mobile will tailor ringtones, videos and games to women in their 20s and 30s, said to represent a huge segment of Disney's overall Japanese fanbase: Females older than 20 reportedly constitute 75 percent of the 3.5 million subscribers to Disney's myriad Japanese mobile websites. Disney Mobile will also court subscribers with designer handsets--the first, produced by Sharp, will come in pink, gold and silver, complete with subtle Disney-themed graphics. Let's see: Narrowly-defined consumer demographic, specialized content, designer devices…isn't this pretty much how Disney's MVNO efforts went awry in the past? If nothing else, the failures of the first Disney Mobile and Mobile ESPN proved that even the most iconic multimedia brands are far less potent in wireless, where content still falls behind network coverage, voice quality and pricing on the list of consumer priorities. Looks like The Mouse is falling into the same trap all over again. - Jason

SPOTLIGHT: Mouse hunt

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:59:54 -0500

Why Disney's new Japanese MVNO will target adult women instead of children. Article

C&L: The Walt Disney Co. names Tim Connolly VP of mobile distribution

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:59:50 -0500

The Walt Disney Co. names Tim Connolly VP of mobile distribution.

FusionOne appoints Mike Mulica CEO.

JumpTap names Paran Johar CMO.

Disney to launch Japanese MVNO on March 1

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:59:55 -0500

The Walt Disney Co. announced it will launch its Japanese MVNO service Disney Mobile on March 1. The service will roll out in conjunction with Japanese operator Softbank Mobile--handset maker Sharp will produce three devices for the launch, each emblazoned with silhouette patterns of Mickey Mouse. The Japanese MVNO's scheduled debut follows roughly six months after Disney pulled the plug on its U.S. Disney Mobile venture. In an interview with AFP, Walt Disney Internet Group Asia-Pacific VP Duncan Orrell-Jones blamed the venture's failure on a business model "where we did everything on our own," and said the Softbank partnership is a "much more powerful model that gives us collaboration across everything from handsets to service to distribution."

For more about Disney's Japanese MVNO launch:
- read this AFP article

Related article:
On the Hot Seat with Disney's Larry Shapiro

Disney expands European mobile gaming effort

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:59:55 -0500

The Walt Disney Internet Group announced an expansion of its global mobile games business, increasing the size of its Prague development facility and renaming the site the Disney Mobile Games Studio. The studio, which will become Disney's largest European mobile game development center, joins related sites in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Beijing--WDIG launched its Prague operations in 2005 following the acquisition of European mobile gaming outfit Living Mobile.

For more on Disney's mobile gaming growth:
- read this Games on Deck article

Related articles:
Disney signs on with Softbank for Japanese MVNO
On the Hot Seat with Disney's Larry Shapiro
Walt Disney to launch MVNO in U.K.

Disney signs on with Softbank for Japanese MVNO

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:59:58 -0500

If at first you don't succeed: Weeks after announcing its pending exit from the U.S. MVNO market, The Walt Disney Co. said it will team with Japanese operator Softbank to launch a branded mobile service in the spring of 2008. The Japanese MVNO will feature Disney-branded handsets and animated content, with devices and services sold via Softbank stores--Softbank will also cover billing, customer service and related back-end requirements. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

For more on the Disney/Softbank deal:
- read this Wall Street Journal article

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On the Hot Seat with Disney's Larry Shapiro
Walt Disney to launch MVNO in U.K.

Disney introduces new mobile site

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Two weeks after shuttering its Disney Mobile MVNO venture, the Walt Disney Internet Group announced the debut of a free, ad-supported mobile version of its Disney.com site--created by WDIG's mDisney unit, the site includes streaming video and audio clips, games, photos, movie showtimes, TV schedules, polls and quizzes, with additional interactive, personalized content on tap. "Through this new mobile web site, we provide consumers with anywhere, anytime access to Disney," said Walt Disney Internet Group executive vice president and general manager of North American mobile services Larry Shapiro. "The site builds on our multiplatform efforts, as it will eventually provide further integration with activities on Disney.com, including Disney.com XD and Disney's virtual worlds, and will provide a pathway for The Walt Disney Company's offline divisions to reach their consumers through mobile."

For more on Disney's new mobile site:
- read this release

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SPOTLIGHT: Mouse trapped

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 06:59:54 -0400

How a Disney mobile marketing gaffe incurred the wrath of Britain's communications watchdogs (not to be confused with Pluto and Goofy). Article

No fairytale ending for Disney Mobile

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 06:59:59 -0400

The Walt Disney Internet Group on Thursday pulled the plug on its Disney Mobile venture, two weeks after broadly hinting at the MVNO's imminent demise and almost a year to the day after shutting down its Mobile ESPN initiative. WDIG said it will shutter Disney Mobile later this year to explore a new business model for its content and services, presumably reinventing its Family Center service suite as a wireless carrier application (similar to its resurrection of Mobile ESPN services as ESPN MVP, the application now available via Verizon Wireless).

Disney Mobile's demise follows two months after MVNO Amp'd Mobile announced its suspension of operations. Earlier this week, Korean operator SK Telecom said it would invest another $270 million in Helio, the struggling U.S. MVNO it launched in conjunction with Internet service provider EarthLink.

"Our feedback from customers and critics from the beginning has been that we exceeded the mark in that respect," said Steve Wadsworth, Walt Disney Internet Group president. "However, the MVNO model has proven, as we've seen with other companies this past year, to be a difficult proposition in the hyper-competitive U.S. mobile phone market. In assessing our business model, we decided that changing strategies was a better alternative to pursue profitable growth in the mobile services area."

Disney Mobile launched in June 2006 over the Sprint network. The service will remain live through Dec. 31--Disney has offered to reimburse subscribers who purchased handsets, accessories and content through the company. The fate of Disney Mobile's 120 employees is presently under discussion.

For more on the Disney Mobile shutdown:
- read this release

Related article:
SPOTLIGHT: On the Hot Seat with Disney's Larry Shapiro