The deal is particularly important for Private because Mobile Streams also is integrated to mobile networks by nearly 100 operators in other parts of the world, including blue-chip U.S. telecoms AT&T and Sprint. Mobile Streams has subsidiaries in the U.S., Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Private-Mobile Streams deal comes as media companies are offering more programming — from sports to prime-time shows to adult-content fare — through mobile devices. U.S. operators, however, haven’t embraced so-called “late night” or adult content for mobile consumers because of regulatory hurdles.
Private's content will be sold to consumers via Mobile Streams' proprietary Vuesia technology platform, which facilitates content ingestion, management, delivery, billing and reporting.
Mobile Streams also will use its Vuesia to manage the bidding on relevant keywords and present Private's content in mobile search results. Vuesia is integrated into search engines Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.
Private mobile content will be marketed through the company's multiple distribution platforms including Private.com, magazines and DVDs. "The partnership with Mobile Streams demonstrates our ongoing commitment to further maximize the Private global brand," Private COO Peter Cohen said. "Private has always been at the forefront in leveraging new media platforms for distribution of its content."
"This partnership will facilitate our ability to maximize revenues in this strategic area of wireless content distribution," he said.
With the deal announced Monday, Private is betting strong on the mobile sector. Charges for adult content are generally higher, almost more than double the average prices for popular games or ringtone downloads.
The last Juniper study on adult mobile content predicted that the market would grow to $3.3 billion by 2011 from $1.4 billion in 2006.
No financial details between Private and Mobile Streams were disclosed.