Mobile ESPN

At THE CTIA WIRELESS SHOW in San Francisco this week, ESPN announced MOBILE ESPN -- the first national U.S. wireless phone service provider targeted specifically to sports fans -- starting with the name itself.

Mobile ESPN, is a name that not only differentiates the sports giant from other wireless providers, but reflects the company's ability to serve sports fans anytime, anywhere with one-touch, real-time access to immersive and personalized sports content from ESPN. Mobile ESPN will allow fans to take ESPN with them everywhere they go.

ESPN also unveiled it's inaugural ESPN-branded phone at the event. Customized specifically for ESPN by SANYO, it's called the SANYO MVP (Sanyo MVP EV-DO).

Disney's ESPN sees the mobile service, which will operate on a high-speed wireless network that SPRINT NEXTEL CORPORATION is building, as a way to expand its brand and its sports programming beyond traditional television screens.

SPRINT NEXTEL leases network space to several wireless providers including VIRGIN MOBILE USA, its joint venture with VIRGIN, in an effort to gain revenue from consumers it has not signed up for SPRINT branded services.

SPRINT NEXTEL, which plans to have a high-speed network that covers about half of the U.S. population early next year, will also support a separate DISNEY-branded mobile service.

ESPN has also reached an innovative agreement with WEST CORPORATION, one of the industry’s leading customer service providers.

Along with traditional phone call services it plans to deliver sports score alerts, breaking news and commentary as well as some audio and video clip services to mobile phones. It did not reveal pricing for the service or the phone.

THE SANYO MVP has a 1.3 megapixel camera, a video and voice recorder, and an MP3 digital music player, ESPN said.

ESPN said customers could sign up for its Mobile ESPN service and buy the SANYO MVP phone on its website in time for the winter holiday season. It plans a national retail launch on Sunday, February 5th, 2006 -- SUPERBOWL SUNDAY.