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mSpot Launches Full-Length Mobile Movie Service to over 40m US Subs

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mSpot has launched a service that makes instant streaming of full-length feature movies available on-demand to millions of mobile phone users. mSpot Mobile Movies™ is now available on all four major U.S. carriers via the mobile web and initially across 30 different handset devices, including the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile and many high-end feature phones, reaching over 40 million subscribers.
The Mobile Movies service has been in development for over a year.  During this time, mSpot perfected the streaming technology and inked deals with the major studios. Mobile Movies marks the first direct-to-consumer component of mSpot’s movie offering, which launched three years ago with streaming movies limited through Sprint and Bell Mobility.
To access mSpot Mobile Movies, consumers go to m.mSpot.com on their phone, and use a credit card to purchase individual movies for $4.99 each, or subscribe to a monthly Movie Club membership at $9.99, $12.99 or $15.99 per month. Then they simply use their phone’s web browser to access the movie instantly, no need to wait for download or syncing to a PC.  mSpot’s Mobile Movies selection of films includes titles such as “The Reader” and “Zach and Miri Make a Porno.”
mSpot operates 20 multimedia services across 10 carriers in North American, and is experienced in delivering the best movie experience on each phone.  mSpot accomplishes this by matching different video encodings to each individual handset and network.  There are 18 different versions of every movie title, varying by codecs, bitrate and aspect ratio. The result means the best possible viewing experience regardless of handset.
At launch, mSpot has agreements with Paramount Studios and The Weinstein Company, as well as a pending deal with Universal, that grant them the rights to allow streaming movies, as well as full access to both new releases and past movies.  mSpot plans to announce additional content partners this year to expand its movie catalog – in the coming months it expects to give fans access to thousands of movies over a hundred handset devices.
Demand for instant mobile entertainment continues to grow.  According to market research firm Gartner, smartphone sales topped 40 million units in the U.S. for second quarter 2009, a year-over-year increase of 27 percent.  mSpot’s own extensive user testing and consumer surveys reveal strong consumer demand for instant streaming Mobile Movies: 78% of respondents were more likely to use a mobile movie service that doesn’t require any downloads or wait time. 74% said it would frustrate them to have to wait 10 minutes or longer for a mobile download.
Mobile Movies is the latest major announcement from mSpot, which continues to expand its mobile entertainment vision in both user base and services.  Ranking 40th on the September 2009 Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies, mSpot has over six million users across its services and has been profitable since 2006.
CEO Darren Tsui said “This is something no one has done before – deliver excellent quality streaming video for full-length films on the mobile device. We’re excited to be the first on the market, and look forward to giving people the instant mobile entertainment they crave.”

mspot-movies

mSpot has launched a service that makes instant streaming of full-length feature movies available on-demand to millions of mobile phone users. mSpot Mobile Movies™ is now available on all four major U.S. carriers via the mobile web and initially across 30 different handset devices, including the iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile and many high-end feature phones, reaching over 40 million subscribers.

The Mobile Movies service has been in development for over a year.  During this time, mSpot perfected the streaming technology and inked deals with the major studios. Mobile Movies marks the first direct-to-consumer component of mSpot’s movie offering, which launched three years ago with streaming movies limited through Sprint and Bell Mobility.

To access mSpot Mobile Movies, consumers go to m.mSpot.com on their phone, and use a credit card to purchase individual movies for $4.99 each, or subscribe to a monthly Movie Club membership at $9.99, $12.99 or $15.99 per month. Then they simply use their phone’s web browser to access the movie instantly, no need to wait for download or syncing to a PC.  mSpot’s Mobile Movies selection of films includes titles such as “The Reader” and “Zach and Miri Make a Porno.”

mSpot operates 20 multimedia services across 10 carriers in North American, and is experienced in delivering the best movie experience on each phone.  mSpot accomplishes this by matching different video encodings to each individual handset and network. There are 18 different versions of every movie title, varying by codecs, bitrate and aspect ratio. The result means the best possible viewing experience regardless of handset.

CEO Darren Tsui said “This is something no one has done before – deliver excellent quality streaming video for full-length films on the mobile device. We’re excited to be the first on the market, and look forward to giving people the instant mobile entertainment they crave.”

At launch, mSpot has agreements with Paramount Studios and The Weinstein Company, as well as a pending deal with Universal, that grant them the rights to allow streaming movies, as well as full access to both new releases and past movies.  mSpot plans to announce additional content partners this year to expand its movie catalog – in the coming months it expects to give fans access to thousands of movies over a hundred handset devices.

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