The International Broadcast Centre is functional and ready to start broadcasting the 2010 Soccer World Cup via an upgraded mobile package that, according to an analyst, may not work in SA.
“Given the rapid diversification of media consumption over the last few years, Fifa wanted to set new standards with regards to the mobile medium and promptly created the Fifa Mobile Project. The 2010 World Cup represents the chance to deliver the most comprehensive mobile content package ever,” says the soccer governing body.
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says there will be an appetite for video in SA but not via mobile TV broadcasts.
Multilingual content
Fifa says that primarily, the mobile content will come via a mobile match feed.
A designated 'Mobile Camera one' will provide live match coverage, using tighter framing than the traditional TV camera. A mobile-specific graphics package has been created with large text, readable on even the smallest handset, says the governing body.
It adds that, in addition to the live match feed, there will be video clips, including team-specific clips, pre-match clips (arrivals and line-ups), match-time clips (goals and key events) and post-match clips (interviews and highlights) in 12 languages.
Via SMS and MMS, users will receive text and still images covering goal flashes, as well as team-specific content such as promotions and breaking news, says Fifa.
It mandated Host Broadcast Services to develop the mobile content production plan and Ericsson to develop a dedicated mobile platform to distribute this specific content to the licensees around the world. “This cooperation allows a mobile producer to create statistics, text, still images and videos in the shortest possible time from a single screen view.”
Misunderstood market
“The number of people accessing the Web on mobile phones [in SA] is below four million. Only 1% of the market has accessed mobile TV and only 1% intends to do so. This is much lower than [in Germany] in 2006,” says Goldstuck.
He explains that in 2006, mobile TV had a high uptake, because it was hyped up for the 2006 Soccer World Cup. He adds that because of dissatisfaction with mobile TV, this hype has died down significantly. “Now people have distrust and cynicism for mobile TV.”
He says mobile videos will work, but mobile TV will not. Goldstuck adds that, if it is mobile TV, then “it's a case of Fifa again imposing their vision on a market they don't understand”. =
Mobile package
Fifa says the main objective of the project is to structure the mobile rights, products and services around the event, generating a chance for fans to follow the event, while “on the move”, but also to push the use of this medium in general. The content will be tailored to the needs of the mobile network operators, mobile markets around the world, and fans.
“Global 3G proliferation and video-friendly handsets mean a large number of markets are in a good position to take up this new mobile package,” says the governing body.
The mobile packages contain more than just re-versioned broadcast content, and technical innovations ensure the images used are suitable for the small screen, according to Fifa.
“Match-time content is produced from a specific mobile match feed. The content includes team arrivals, dressing room, team line-ups, goals, action, highlights and interviews. In addition, production units with the brief of covering one national team deliver daily reports focusing on the stories around that team.”
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