Reuters expands mobile video options

Filed in archive Announcements on December 18, 2006

I am still looking hard to find the people who like mobile content, still have not found them; nor do I know that they actually exist outside of a handful of iPod video downloads.

But, just in case I'm wrong, here is news that Reuters is making 20 videos available for viewing at any one time and that video will be "updated around the clock." Each clip ranges from 30-seconds to several minutes in length.

If this interests you, I hope you have a Nokia E62, Palm 700w, or blackberry pearl. Mobile Web subscribers with unsupported phones will not see the video option when visiting Reuters' mobile site.

This will be free because Reuters will sell pre-roll ads to pay for the service. Reuters' two-pronged distribution strategy includes both direct promotion of its mobile content and deals with carriers. It has an on-deck "Reuters" tab with three news services: Verizon, Sprint and Nextel.

I must be wrong about mobile video because some Reuters guy says that the Reuters mobile site records page views in the "single digit millions" per month. Year-over-year site traffic was up 300 percent as of November.

Reuters already offers mobile video in Europe and Asia. This service will expand the U.S. market.