LAS VEGAS — MTV Networks is set to announce a partnership with mobile entertainment company Amp’d Mobile today at the Consumer Electronics Show designed to develop original made-for-mobile content to appear exclusively on Amp’d phones.
The companies will create and distribute original made-for-mobile episodic series, with the programming appearing on MTV Networks’ channels on Amp’d Mobile’s entertainment portal, Amp’d Live.
MTV Networks will retain the rights to develop and cross-program the projects for television and other platforms.
“Amp’d is forward-thinking when it comes to content and development,” said Greg Clayman, senior vp mobile media at MTV Networks, acknowledging the potential for content created for mobile to also air on the network’s channels. “What makes Amp’d unique is how we can collaborate to create programming for across platforms.”
The development deal builds upon recent content to premiere on Amp’d like “Sucks Less With Kevin Smith,” in which the feature filmmaker teaches UCLA’s first-ever mobile media production class to produce the series. “Sucks Less” was created in conjunction with mtvU and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.
Recently, MTV Networks’ Comedy Central and Amp’d Mobile announced that the original animated mobile series “Lil’ Bush: Resident of the United States” was making the jump from mobile to television. The series, originally produced for mobile by Amp’d Mobile and comedy writer-producer Donick Cary, is scheduled to launch this year.
According to Clayman, today’s announcement is unique because, for the first time, MTV Nets and Amp’d are creating content together.
“With MTV Nets’ funding, this collaboration is taking everything to the next level, ” said Seth Cummings, senior vp content development and programming at Amp’d Mobile. “The deal signals recognition that in Hollywood, the mobile space is where it’s at in terms of content creations.”
MTV Networks’ parent company, Viacom, is one of the investors in Amp’d.
