ITV, Hutchison's 3 Will Offer ITV1 Live to Cellular Customers

ITV Plc, Britain's largest commercial television broadcaster, will offer its flagship channel live to customers of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.'s U.K. mobile-phone unit 3.

The agreement means 3.5 million 3 subscribers will be able to watch ITV1, and the participation channel ITV Play, on their cellular phones starting this autumn, ITV and 3 said in an e- mailed statement. ITV has granted 3 an exclusive 3G mobile license for six months, the statement said.

The move offers viewers of London-based ITV more choice at a time when ratings at its flagship station have been hurt by an increase in channels available on cable, satellite and a subscription-free digital television service called Freeview.

For 3, which already makes TV content available on cellular phones and also streams live TV, the arrangement is a ``natural next step'' as the group seeks to meet all its customers' communication and entertainment needs on the move, 3 Chief Executive Officer Bob Fuller said in the statement.

The arrangement follows the introduction of ITV's first mobile portal last September. The broadcaster has partnered with 3, France Telecom SA's Orange phone unit and Telefonica SA's O2 to let subscribers access ITV content, the statement said.

``We are delighted that we are teaming up with 3 to be the first terrestrial broadcaster in the U.K. to launch this kind of service,'' ITV CEO Charles Allen said in the statement. ``This is a bold new service from ITV and 3 which makes the ambition of fully streamed mobile TV a reality.'

Hutchison Whampoa, the world's biggest container-terminal operator, is controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.

(c) Bloomberg