Mobile Streams Buys LA-Based Urban Mobile Music Firm Nickels Group

UK-based mobile content firm Mobile Streams (publicly traded on AIM on London) has made more forays into U.S., with acquisition of of the Nickels Group, the LA-based mobile production company. The Nickels Group specializes in the licensing and distribution of urban music. The deal will "significantly strengthen Mobile Streams' content generation and distribution business as well as providing a strategic foothold on the West coast of America".
The two companies were already working together on some projects, including Reggaeton Nation, The Hyphy Movement, and the new offering from Nexxt Mobile and Paul Wall's G.R.I.T. Boys, the mobile reality series.
Founders Jonas Hudson and Daryl Young will join Mobile Streams as senior VPs.

Более ранние заметки о Mobile Streams:

Mobile Streams, an international mobile media and music company, has reached an agreement to acquire the mobile entertainment group Mobilemode Ltd. It’s a part cash and part stock deal. The maximum total consideration of the deal is €8 million, with €1 million going in upfront payment.
This will mark Mobile Streams’ entry into the Asia Pacific market in a big way, since Mobilemode, founded in 1999, delivers mobile entertainment content and services to mobile phone operators and portals mainly in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.


20/04/2006
Mobile Streams Acquires Cyoshi Mobile to Expand European Mobile Video Content and Distribution

Mobile Streams Plc, the mobile media specialist, announces the acquisition of Cyoshi Mobile GmbH (“Cyoshi”) for a total consideration of €3m to be paid €2m in cash and €1m in Mobile Streams shares. Based in Germany, Cyoshi is a leading independent producer and distributor of mobile media - especially video content - across Europe. The acquisition will strengthen Mobile Streams’ footprint across mainland Europe and provide them with direct access to exclusive mobile content.

Cyoshi Mobile, which was formed as a subsidiary of the television and film production company Cyoshi Crucial GmbH, develops, licenses, produces, aggregates and distributes branded content and applications for wireless devices and is a leader in the field of made-for-mobile content production. The company offers premium content and solutions that specifically address the requirements of the emerging mobile video and mobile TV market.

Cyoshi has pioneered the introduction of short-form animated cartoon content that has proven to be highly popular on mobile phones, and successfully took the cult internet series “Happy Tree Friends” onto mobile. Its portfolio of exclusive content includes other cartoon shows such as “Suicidal Squirrels” and “Joe Cartoon”.

Furthermore, Cyoshi Mobile has exclusive rights for mainland European distribution of the Australia based mobile community FunkySexyCool (“FSC”). Labelled “the largest party on your mobile”, FSC is a unique viral community concept which combines elements such as live chat, messaging, photo and video profiles with a unique voting system. Cyoshi Mobile also has licensed rights to the Holy Bible scriptures for mobile content in 22 languages. The application allows mobile phone users the choice between linear reading and targeted sections from both the Old and the New Testament.

Cyoshi Mobile has a strong distribution network throughout Europe, including existing direct relationships with Vodafone, T-Mobile, Hutchison 3G, and numerous other operators to supply content throughout Eastern and Western Europe.

This acquisition reaffirms Mobile Streams’ stated goals during its recent listing in London to enhance its portfolio of exclusive content and develop its international presence in selected markets.

The three founding members of Cyoshi Mobile GmbH – Christoph Reisner, Arnd Aschentrup and Steffen Heisterberg – will continue to run the business within Mobile Streams. Christoph will become EVP Mobile Streams Europe, whilst Arnd and Steffen will remain in senior roles responsible for finance and content. Cyoshi Mobile will be renamed Mobile Streams Europe and will be responsible for all Mobile Streams’ business in mainland Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Cyoshi will immediately commence powering their business using Mobile Streams’ Vuesia platform.

Simon Buckingham, Mobile Streams CEO said: “This complementary acquisition accelerates our strategy in several important ways - it extends our operator distribution footprint from the UK across both continental and Eastern Europe while also accelerating our content strategy by adding compelling licensed content.”

Buckingham added, “Cyoshi’s content and TV production background will also strengthen Mobile Streams’ leadership in the fast growing mobile video sector of the mobile media market. Most importantly, the Cyoshi employees share our excitement for the sector and I look forward to working with them all as we grow our businesses together.”

Christoph Reisner, Cyoshi, said: “We are delighted to join Mobile Streams’ fast-growing portfolio and to have found like-minded entrepreneurs in the wireless industry. We look forward to creating more lively content to entertain mobile users throughout Europe.”


Mobile Streams seeks Aim listing

Published: January 9 2006 22:42

Mobile Streams, which provides entertainment content for mobile phones, is planning an Aim listing by the end of March after John Malone’s Liberty Media took a 22 per cent stake on Monday.

Liberty’s investment, worth more than £5m, implies a valuation of about £27m for the seven-year-old company. Mobile Streams said it intended to raise about £6m through a placing by Bridgewell Securities, the vast majority of which will be new shares as its current investors are likely to sell only small stakes.

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As part of the alliance with Liberty, a US-based cable and media investment group, Mobile Streams will also take over the management of ConnectID, a subsidiary of Liberty’s wireless technology division, True Position. The business specialises in using the ability to pinpoint the location of a cellphone to allow parents to track their children or to offer “location aware content” such as directions or advice about local services.

Mobile Streams, which works with media content owners and mobile network operators, would invest the funds raised by the placing in developing more of its own content, said Roger Parry, who became its chairman last year.

The group, which makes more than 40 per cent of its revenues from outside the UK, is hoping to use the Liberty alliance to expand more rapidly in the US market.

Industry analysts have estimated that mobile entertainment may be worth $31.7bn (£17.9bn) by 2009 as more third generation handsets come on to the market.

There is still considerable debate, however, over who exactly will make the most money from such services – the content owners, mobile operators or the middlemen.

(c) FT