mocoNews - Soccer World Cup Will Spur Mobile TV Adoption?In Africa

The mobile industry is always looking for the next big event, such as the Olympics, March Madness or the inauguration, to usher in the next wave of adoption. The latest buzz is that the soccer world championships will have the same effect?not in traditional cellular markets, but in Africa.

Reuters reports that more than 10 mobile TV broadcasting networks will be launched in Africa in time for the 2010 World Cup, which is taking place in South Africa, and FIFA, the major soccer governing body, said it will also be offering live coverage, specifically tailored to mobile phones for the first time. Billions are expected to tune in for traditional broadcasts.

Stefan Schneiders, the head of Business Development for Mobile TV at Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Siemens, told Reuters he expects many networks to be live and capable of distributing the coverage in several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Namibia.