InMobi has announced today that it has grown to become the largest mobile advertising network in South Africa with over 650 million mobile ad requests per month! The service offering has also been expanded to other countries in Africa such as Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt which are also beginning to show a significant growth in mobile advertising.
With the upcoming Football World Cup 2010, InMobi predicts an explosion in mobile advertising and brands engagement since nothing connects Africa quite like football. Under the first ever mobile rights distribution project for the World Cup operators around the world will stream all 64 matches live to mobile handsets. Users will also be able to receive highlights and updates to their phones on a near-live basis. In his address during the World Cup ceremony in Berlin, South African President Thabo Mbeki said that the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa would be the first event of this magnitude where the world would be able to participate via their mobile handsets.
Being the largest ad network in the region, InMobi is gearing up for the occasion. The company is also announcing a partnership with a South African advertising agency, MobiClicks, to engage South Africa with mobile advertising.
Well certainly good news for InMobi, and if the plan to stream matches comes off even half-decent, then they could be set to do very well indeed. Time will tell (around about 7 months to be exact!) as to how this all pans out!