The decision --
coming a year after Disney suspended a similar niche offering, Mobile ESPN -- illustrates the challenges of competing with national wireless carriers that own their networks. Disney leased its network
capacity from Sprint Nextel.
Disney was counting on its brand name to attract customers, but a rapidly changing market eclipsed its added services. Major carriers -- such as Verizon Wireless and even Sprint -- stole its thunder by rolling out similar child-finder services and other family-friendly features. It also struggled to get broad retail distribution of its phones.
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