MobiTV, the world's first live streaming television content service delivered to mobile phones, was launched yesterday on the USA's SprintPCS network.

The subscription service, developed and operated by Idetic, is now available as a J2ME-download to select PCS Vision Phones. MobiTV brings a stream of television content and features such as on/off, volume and channel changing to PCS Phones.

MobiTV features some of the most popular TV channels: MSNBC, CNBC, Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, CSTV: College Sports Television, California Music Channel, CMC Beat Lounge, CMC-USA, Independent Music Network, CNET, Discovery Kids, ToonWorld TV Classics and Discovery en Espanol are all part of the initial package. More channels will be added to the service over the coming months.

"MobiTV really is live TV content streamed real-time to select PCS Vision phones, not pre-canned clips or slide shows. The real breakthrough here is that for the first time, people can watch real-time television content on their mobile phone anywhere on the Sprint Nationwide Network," said Dr. Phillip Alvelda, CEO at Idetic, Inc.

"We're just feeding a global appetite for news and information on the go that's fueled by more than 1.2 billion mobile phone users worldwide," continued Dr. Alvelda.

"With MobiTV, Sprint is letting wireless customers turn on and tune in to real-time television content directly on their handset. Now, in addition to the Internet and TV, customers' PCS Phones become a 'third screen' on which they can watch real-time television content from their favorite providers," said Jeff Hallock, assistant vice president of consumer products and services for Sprint.

At the end of 3Q03, there were nearly 2.7 million PCS Vision subscribers nationwide.