Cingular Brings 'Saturday Night Live' To Mobile

Those wild and crazy guys just went mobile. NBC Universal has struck an exclusive deal with Cingular Wireless to bring content from "Saturday Night Live," its long-running sketch comedy show, to Cingular mobile phones.

NBC, which recently launched a "Saturday Night Live" section on its Web site full of clips from the classic show, is producing some original "SNL" material to be streamed on Cingular phones, along with video clips from its archives and current episodes.

In addition, the new offering will include content created by "SNL" specifically for mobile viewers. It also features an array of extras, like ringtones and graphics from the "SNL." The product will be available to subscribers of Cingular's video service.

The deal is exclusive with Cingular, and is the latest example of two trends: Wireless providers looking for more content to attract subscribers at higher user fees and networks looking for new ways to distribute their content. This year will be remembered as the year when networks tried to outdo one another by streaming an increasing number of episodes online. And 2007 could usher in a similar battle for supremacy in the wireless space.

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According to Ron Lamprecht, vice president of new media for NBC Universal Television Networks Distribution, the deal will allow consumers to watch the Emmy-winning "SNL" in "a way that's convenient for them." It's all part of a large corporate goal, he says, for NBC Universal to provide "customers with content on a variety of platforms to meet their needs."

The library of "SNL" material will include 100 short videos two to three minutes in length, with new content becoming available the Sunday after the show airs. No details were offered regarding the original Cingular-only shorts.

Cingular's video service also includes a wealth of content from HBO, such as "Entourage" and "The Sopranos."

"Cingular becomes the first wireless carrier to deliver classic and current "SNL" shorts, as well as newly produced original content, to the mobile stage," says John Burbank, vice president, marketing at Cingular Wireless.

To get the "SNL" material, as well as other Cingular Video content, Cingular customers must subscribe to Cingular's Media Net Unlimited service, which costs $19.99 a month. In addition to this monthly fee, subscribers will be charged $2.49 per ringtone and $1.99 per wallpaper download. Customers must have a 3G phone to access the "SNL" offer.

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