TEAMtalk Media, a leading digital content provider in South Africa, has recently launched a raft of interactive mobile news services for South African sports fans. The company sees mobile phones leapfrogging the personal computer as South Africa’s main way of accessing news; views; and results from their favourite teams.
“While the current debate is around the PC-based Web’s impact on print media, people are forgetting that in South Africa more people have access to a mobile phone than a personal computer,” says Barrie Jarrett, TEAMtalk Media Founder and Operations Director. “And because people always have their mobile phone with them, this is an ideal way to communicate up-to-the-minute scores; breaking news; and last-minute fixture and team changes to our readers.”
The company, owned by British Sky Broadcasting, is known for its digital sports content via its network of sport sites as well as its media syndication partners, which include
Soccer Week; Primedia Online; and
Sport24.co.za. Its latest launches in the mobile space include:
1.
f365.co.za – this is the mobile version of
football365.co.za, TEAMtalk Media’s popular local football site. It offers local news; results; fixtures; opinions; and downloads.
2. Sport24 Match Pass is a weekly SMS alert service launched in conjunction with Sport24.co.za. Football fans can receive news and results for their favourite PSL and Premiership clubs by SMS every week.
3.
SoccerLife Mobile – Avusa’s weekly football mag, going out to 618 000 readers, now offers live chat; blog forum; news; scores; tables; fixtures; and results via the mobile phone at
www.soccerlife.mobi.
4.
Soccer Week – SA’s latest football publication, launched in May in partnership with TEAMtalk Media, has also launched a mobi site to reach readers on their mobile phones. The mobi site,
www.soccerweek.mobi, offers news; team info; live scores; fixtures and results; polls and World Cup news.
5. Planet Rugby – rugby fans are also catered for with
www.planet-rugby.mobi from TEAMtalk Media’s popular Planet Rugby website. Mobile content includes news; tournament info; live scoring and match commentary; league news; and opinions.
All of TEAMtalk’s mobile offerings contain content created by the world-class team of sports journalists based in Cape Town.
“Content truly is king,” said Lashias Ncube, TEAMtalk Media Editor-in-Chief. “It’s all about providing timely; accurate; engaging; and entertaining content for our readers. Our readers have got to know and like our specific take on sports and have built a relationship with the journalists doing the reporting, which can now also be accessed via a mobile phone.”
It’s not simply about pushing the same content to the mobile phone though, as content needs to be tailored to the device where it will be accessed. “The immediacy of mobile phones means we can now get live match info and other alerts to our readers instantly, as well as additional news and views while they are on the go,” said Ncube.