Wicked has signed a five-year deal with Brickhouse Mobile to develop, distribute and sell mobile phone content worldwide.
“Wicked-branded mobile content has been on sale for nearly two years in a number of European countries,” noted Anne Petrie, director of new media at Wicked. “Our agreement with Brickhouse will take our mobile initiatives to the next level with U.S.-based carriers, as well as entering into the burgeoning South American market.”
Brickhouse Mobile President L.R. Clinton Fayling told XBiz that Wicked is creating exclusive wallpapers and videos as well as a limited number of voice tones featuring the company’s contract stars such as Devinn Lane, Sydnee Steele, Julia Ann, Stormy, Jessica Drake and Kaylani Lei. Brickhouse also will cull video clips for download from Wicked’s film library.
“Quality production and beautiful contract stars have enabled Wicked Pictures to set the standard in adult movie making, and we now look forward to helping them set the same standard in the adult mobile space,” Clinton said.
“We’re a full-service agency when it comes to mobile; we handle everything except shooting content,” Clinton told XBiz. “We consult on the creative, choose the right formats for different carriers and make sure the experience is optimal for each user.”
The content will be available later this spring on Wicked’s existing websites and a newly launched Wireless Application Protocol site, as well as through Java and BREW applications on authorized carrier decks.
Consumers will have the option of choosing between a flat-fee monthly subscription offering unlimited viewing or purchasing content on an á la carte basis. Promotional efforts will target males between the ages of 18 and 35.
Clinton was quick to point out that Brickhouse works closely with industry associations, carriers and government organizations to ensure all content complies with U.S. and international standards and that content is viewed only by those of an appropriate age.
“We’re not looking to be rogues or renegades,” he said.
As a result, hardcore content will not be part of Wicked’s initial mobile offering. Instead, Clinton said, the company will focus on sexy, non-explicit content that’s “as harmless as what you’d find in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.” In addition, the company will use a variety of screening methods, including credit card verification and user registration, to prevent the content from being viewed by underage users.
Clinton added that Brickhouse is thinking long term and hopes to help carriers gradually overcome hesitancies about carrying hardcore content.
Earlier this year, Brickhouse and New Frontier Media signed a similar agreement to develop and promote wireless content based on New Frontier’s TEN-branded adult products.
Market potential has been the subject of much speculation in recent months. In January, Jupiter Research forecast revenues to rise as high as $1.9 billion by 2008, while Strategy Analytics last month released a report predicting that global spending on adult mobile content could reach $5 billion by 2010.
Strategic Analytics had originally predicted market potential of $1 billion, but boosted its own estimates based on market demand and a spat of new technologies that make mobile phones more porn friendly.
Similarly, The Yankee Group forecasted that ringtones, which include voice and moan tones, would grow into a billion-dollar market by 2008.
Wireless adult products already are big business in Asia and Europe, where consumers of mobile-based adult content spend an average of $34 per year downloading erotic images and explicit videos.
However, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, Cingular, has made it clear the company is not interested in entering the hardcore arena. The company announced in January that it would no longer offer customers the option of downloading images of adult film stars.
“We're not going to offer adult content,” said Mark Siegel, a spokesman for Cingular. “That is not compatible with the Cingular brand.”
Verizon and Sprint also are not providing sex-related content, though they do offer images of bikini-clad models.
