Mobile ESPN is shutting down, according to their web site. Mobile ESPN will cease operations as an MVNO Dec. 31 and will refund the purchase price of all Mobile ESPN handsets. Sales are discontinued effective immediately. Details are available at Ars Technica, Engadget, GigOm and MoCo News.
Launched in February of this year after a massive ad campaign centered around the Super Bowl, the venture used Sprint Nextel’s network to provide cellular service, video clips, and other sports-themed content via ESPN-branded phones.
ESPN hoped sports fans would sign up for it’s virtual mobile service that featured packaged sports highlights, clips from ESPN programming (such as Sports Center and Baseball Tonight), real-time score updates, and fantasy sports information.
Plans start at $39.99 per month and include all the normal cellular features along with all of Mobile ESPN’s basic sports content. But if you wanted to watch highlights you had to pay an additional $14.99 per month, or $24.99 per month for the Total Sports Package, which covers all of the video offerings from the service. That’s close to $65/month.
Apparently sports fans didn’t want to buy a new phone service just to get ESPN content. Displaced users may wind up as Sprint Nextel customers once Mobile ESPN goes dark. ESPN is expected to seek deals with other mobile carriers to package ESPN-branded content for cell phones.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators lease spectrum and facilities (often on Sprint), and re-package the service to select groups.
There are dozens of MVNOs including Amp’d (games), Disney Mobile, Helio (Earthlink/SK Telecom), Qwest Wireless, Uphonia (urban ethnic) and Virgin Mobile.
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