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Our Bureau

New Delhi , Nov. 1

Now there's a way to tear the cricket fan away from the TV screen. ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd plans to keep audiences informed about happenings in the sporting world through texts, SMS, wireless voice service, and video clips on the mobile phone.

Subscribers can watch Rahul Dravid comment on his team's performance, get Harsha Bhogle's views or even subscribe to a special Manchester United Package for content that's exclusive to the soccer club, or an exclusive English Premier League package. Mobile ESPN will start in English and Hindi, but may in the next six months be available in regional languages also.

Mr Sricharan Iyengar, Business Head-New Media, said the services would not come into conflict with the rights of the broadcasters, since content would primarily be news oriented and a "rights agnostic" model. He also added that they did not expect a conflict of interest even when BCCI sells the mobile right of its matches. The company said it would consider full streaming of entire matches that it had the rights to.

The monthly packages would range from Rs 50 to Rs 99, and would also allow pay-per-use basis. ESPN is looking to hook as many as 100 million mobile subscribers over the next five years to their value-added services.

According to Mr R.C. Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software (India) Pvt Ltd, the population of mobile users was now far more technology friendly, and there were far more GPRS-enabled phone owners to enjoy the services and make it viable.

The sports broadcaster is spending Rs 40 crore in marketing the new services to be made available from November 15 on all the major telecom networks.

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