Turner Broadcasting System Inc. and Ericsson have sealed a wide ranging deal to collaborate on new mobile multimedia services based on entertainment content including CNN International, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. Turner will provide the content and Ericsson will supply the hosting and content management technology. The first of these jointly developed services, a new CNN Mobile service, will launch to users in the EMEA region and make its debut on February 12 at the 3GSM World Congress trade fair in Barcelona.  The services will be rolled out to further territories, and both Turner and Ericsson have committed to further product launches throughout 2007.

Users will be able to access the content through operators’ branded portals (where deals are in place) and via the CNN Mobile site. The subscription-free service will consist of a searchable archive of 14 days and over 2,000 stories, as well as breaking news alerts and video news updates linked to developments on CNN’s World News Now program, which is updated hourly. The services also include intelligent software, which the companies say enables devices to show only the actual content that is appropriate to the user’s particular handset.
Casey Harwood, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, Turner Broadcasting, said in a statement: “With this deal, we will have for the first time a full portfolio of solutions - from SMS through to mobile television - that will scale and easily move across the world.” Press release During the conference call that followed, the companies said the deal would focus on a variety of delivery schemes and mechanisms including mobile portals and mobile phone clients. Harwood also confirmed that Turner has over 100 operator deals in place. (The call only lasted around 11 minutes - so I missed a chance to ask questions at the end thinking it would have been much longer.)