SAN FRANCISCO-When it comes to wireless content, there isn’t much Disney isn’t going to try.
As the company gears up to launch its much-hyped MVNO next year, the House of Mouse is aggressively expanding its wireless content operations. In addition to developing content based on its legendary cast of characters, Disney is building a library of entertainment, personalization and information offerings to deliver both through carriers and directly to consumers.
“Every CTIA (show), there’s a whole new wave of religion, but we want to play in all the spaces,” said Larry Shapiro, executive vice president and general manager of North America Mobile for the Walt Disney Internet Group. “Hopefully, out of those broad offerings, 25 percent will be big hits.”
Separating the hits from the misses will provide a road map for the future, he added. “That helps us shape what we want to do and how we want to invest in the business.”
Indeed, few companies aside from pure-play wireless content providers are pursuing the platform as aggressively-and few can afford to. Disney Mobile Studios has nearly 100 employees.
Much of the new content will come from Starwave Mobile, the Disney subsidiary that licenses content from outside parties. And much of it is worlds away from Mickey and Minnie: The company is developing Homies: Dominoes and Dice, a multiplayer online game featuring urban characters based on a popular line of collectibles; as well as videos, graphics and ring tones from noted extreme sports filmmaker Warren Miller.
But while content is a top priority for Disney, its planned MVNO will be less about content than it will be about family-friendly calling plans and services that include parental controls, Shapiro said. And while the company has been cited by consumer activists who claim the company is unethically targeting young wireless users, no operator will succeed unless it successfully markets to the family as a whole.
“Because of the Disney brand, we’re held to a higher standard, and we accept that standard,” he said. “And 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds, they don’t go to the store with credit cards.”
And the company will continue to move forward aggressively, Shapiro said, incorporating short codes into movie posters, Web sites and elsewhere to push its direct-to-consumer business. While such efforts may be premature for mass-market Disney fans, they likely will push uptake and make everyday wireless users aware of what types of wireless content is available.
“By spring time, you’ll see (short codes), on everything we do,” he said. “Will people use it? I have no idea. But you have to be on the curve riding up.”
