LONDON-Rock band Rooster has made history with the first live concert in the United Kingdom to be broadcast live via mobile phone. A 45-minute set was broadcast from London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts to around 1,000 subscribers via mobile operator 3’s network.
The broadcast of the Rooster concert is part of a deal with record label BMG under which 3 will provide its subscribers with exclusive access to the latest videos from BMG’s stable of artists. The broadcast follows on from a week of exclusive rights to Robbie Williams’ latest video.
The Rooster broadcast, aimed primarily at the 18 to 25 demographic, was trailed on the band’s Web site, as well as 3’s own phone-based news and entertainment channel in the run up to the concert. Subscribers were sent a message from the band and a video of their latest single, before being encouraged to sign up for a free pre-gig short message service reminder.
Around 10,000 subscribers signed up for the service, 3 revealed in a statement. Ten minutes before the concert, they were sent an SMS, which invited them to visit a “virtual box office” where they could pay $9.22 to view the live broadcast. Only the first 1,000 customers were admitted, but for the next week a live video performance of Rooster’s single “Come Get Some” will be downloadable, as will a free highlights package.
According to 3, the broadcast of the Rooster concert is part of its efforts to assess what its subscribers want from third-generation services. Live music broadcasts are billed as one of the major enticements of 3G services. This is particularly true of “micromoments,” five-minute music video downloads that subscribers can watch on the go.
