Disney Mobile to Close December 31, 2007
(News | Source: Trading Markets)
Disney Mobile, a Disney-branded mobile phone system, will cease operations on December 31st, 2007. The company indicated it will explore a new business model for its mobile content and services. ESPN Mobile was Disney’s other attempt at a mobile virtual network that had a similar fate a year ago.
“It’s been clear since we launched the MVNO that we were offering something both unique and useful for families that wanted to provide their kids with a mobile phone with suitable content and features while retaining a measure of control on how and when it would be used,” said Steve Wadsworth, president of the Walt Disney Internet Group. “Our feedback from customers and critics from the beginning has been that we exceeded the mark in that respect. However, the MVNO model has proven, as we’ve seen with other companies this past year, to be a difficult proposition in the hyper-competitive U.S. mobile phone market. In assessing our business model, we decided that changing strategies was a better alternative to pursue profitable growth in the mobile services area.”
