Mobile Content Bits: Zed-Koch, Nappy Boy Digital; Handango Sells EA Games; ICO Broadcasts Cartoons

-- Zed strikes distribution deals: Mobile entertainment company Zed has struck two exclusive distribution deals, one with rapper T-Pain's independent digital-only label, Nappy Boy Digital, and the other with independent music company KOCH Entertainment. Zed will distribute content from Nappy Boy Digital and KOCH content through its carrier storefronts and through its direct to consumer offerings. In addition, KOCH will use Zed's content production services to cut, format, encode and deliver its content to ringback and realtone platform providers ( Nappy Boy Release, Koch Release). Zed is the fifth-largest mobile partner for major record labels in the U.S. based on ringtone downloads, and is outdone only by Verizon ( NYSE: VZ), AT&T ( NYSE: T), Sprint ( NYSE: S) and T-Mobile (in that order). Outside of the U.S., it has customers in about 50 countries and billing connections with at least 150 mobile operators, according to the company.

-- Handango scores distribution deal with EA: Handango will start distributing EA Mobile titles, such as Madden NFL 08, The Sims 2, The Sims Bowling and some casual games, through its Web properties and its on-device client called InHand. Handango has expanded its own distribution recently by partnering with The Carphone Warehouse and other big box retailers to sell more mobile content at the point of sale. ( Release).

-- ICO rings up Turner channels for mobile TV Trial: ICO Global Communications added content from the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim to its satellite-based mobile TV trial, which got underway in April. The channels join other content from NBC and Discovery. Since ICO has repeatedly said its initial target will be backseat screens in cars, it's no surprise the company made a quick play to grab children's programming for those sometimes finicky passengers. Even purely cellphone-based services like MediaFLO have made a concerted effort to include children's programming. ( Release).