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C21Media are reporting that CBS Studio’s Entertainment Tonight and A&E Television Networks (AETN) are stepping up the amount of mobile entertainment content available around their properties following a tie-up with US specialist Thumbplay.

A range of ringtones, wallpaper, games and video clips for mobile phones are being added to the Entertainment Tonight website and those of AETN’s A&E, History and Biography channels.Both Entertainment Tonight and AETN have implemented new tools from Thumbplay aimed specifically at TV content creators, enabling them to roll out mobile entertainment storefronts on programme or channel websites.

The toolkit allows broadcasters to manage their own mobile entertainment stores while also creating new sponsorship inventory on their websites, according to Thumbplay.

“Thumbplay makes it simple for broadcast and cable television content creators to execute profitable mobile strategies with no up-front investment,” said company CEO Are Traasdahl.

“By partnering with Thumbplay, we’ve been able to quickly and easily create and sell relevant show and genre-based mobile content to the fans of our brands and programmes, so they can access our content on the go, wherever they are,” added AETN senior VP of digital media Paul Jelinek.

Thumbplay aggregates, promotes and delivers mobile content directly to members via Thumbplay.com. The site offers ringtones, wallpapers, games and text-based services through a membership-based, community experience. Thumbplay, headquartered in New York, was founded by CEO Are Traasdahl and Executive Vice President, Marketing Evan Schwartz.

Investors include SoftBank Capital, i-HatchVentures, Bain Capital Venture Partners, Silicon Valley Bank.

Tags: A&E Television Networks, Bain Capital Venture Partners, CBS, i-HatchVentures, Silicon Valley Bank, SoftBank Capital, Thumbplay

meebo, a website for instant messaging (IM), has partnered with VideoEgg Inc., the video ad network for online communities, to give meebo Platform application developers the ability to monetize their applications. The partnership brings VideoEgg’s Eggnetwork Advertising Platform (EAP) to developers building synchronous and multiuser applications for the meebo Platform. Since the October 30th Platform launch, more than 300 developers have registered applications for the meebo Platform and are helping make meebo the live interaction destination on the Web.

The launch of the meebo Platform is creating additional live interactions amongst meebo users and their IM buddies with the addition of rich applications that include Webcam, voice calling, and Flash games. Now with VideoEgg, the meebo Platform gives third-party developers a hassle-free monetization of their applications. meebo and VideoEgg will run unobtrusive, user-friendly and engaging ads while applications run. meebo will share ad click through revenue with its third-party application developers. Alternatively, meebo offers third-party developers the ability to opt out of the revenue-sharing arrangement and run their own ads on their application.

www.meebo.com www.videoegg.com

[Read more]

Tags: CBS, Meebo, PUMA, VideoEgg

ROK Entertainment Group, the UK-based mobile technologies, applications and entertainment development company has acquired a 51% controlling interest in Los Angeles-based Fun Little Movies (FLM) for a combination of cash to be paid in monthly installments through September 2009 and shares in the company. Under the terms of the agreement, ROK and FLM will jointly offer made-for-mobile content, such as comedy short films, to network operators worldwide.

FLM specializes in the development, production and distribution of original mobile-oriented comedy for global distribution. In its nomination for Best Video Producer at the 2007 ME Awards, Mobile Entertainment Magazine said FLM “pioneered the advertiser-funded concept” for mobile video.

FLM distribution deals include Sprint, Verizon and ATT, as well as several handset makers and overseas partners, from China and Japan to Europe, Africa and South America. ROK will be its primary distributor worldwide. [Read more]

Tags: AIS, ATT, Avea, CBS, Comedy Central, Ericsson, Forbes, Fun Little Movies, HBO, Hollywood Reporter, L.A.Times, MTV, N.Y.Times, Nokia, Playboy TV, Revver, ROK Entertainment, Showtime, Sprint, Telenor, Variety, Veoh, Verizon, Vodacom SA, Wired

Spot Runner is the first Internet-based ad agency that makes it easy and affordable for local businesses to advertise on TV. With Spot Runner’s revolutionary approach, local businesses now have access to television, the most powerful marketing tool available—one that, due to its traditional cost and complexity, was previously out of reach.

Essentially Spot runner has produced generic advertisements across a wide range of market segments. These ads are catalogued on the Spot Runner web site for small businesses to select. Provide basic information about the company and the demographic of the target market, including the regions where the ad should be broadcast. Pick a schedule slot and hey presto, launch a TV advertising campaign. Since the advertisements are already produced, requiring just a little customisation, Spot Runner are able to offer campaigns from as little as $500.

Founders: Nick Grouf and David Waxman

Investors: Battery Ventures, Index Ventures, WPP, Interpublic Group, CBS Corporation ($60m)

Tags: Battery Ventures, CBS, Index Ventures, Interpublic Group, Spot Runner, WPP