The Short Names

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) and the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) stepped to the precipice of blackout Armageddon—and wisely took a giant step back. Instead of risking their standing with subscribers and viewers, they put away the harsh rhetoric, kept working through the midnight deadline Wednesday and made a deal that keeps ABC owned-and-operated stations, ESPN and a host of Disney cable nets on Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) Cable and Bright House Networks without a blip.

The new deal, described in the announcement as Disney’s “most expansive content agreement to date,” moves beyond broadcast and cable to broadband, gaining berths for ESPN3 and creating a “TV Everywhere” option for ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.

—ESPN3: The broadband net will be available to all subscribers with access to ESPN—by far the bulk of the two operators’ subs. The operators also will be able to feature cleared content from ESPN3 on a sports tier. ESPN3 has become a live and VOD sports provider, with rights to more than 3,500 live events. ESPN3 usually is offered through cable operators’ ISPs. ESPN also insists on separate payment for ESPN3, treating it like any other network; the fee is believed to be 10 cents a sub. This variation gives Time Warner Cable the ability to say the network is matched to sports, not to broadband distribution. (An ESPN spokeswoman told THR: “We achieved a fair exchange of value while reinforcing the value of the video subscription business.”)

—TV Everywhere: ESPN3 can be accessed outside the home once an account has been authenticated, although it’s not quite TV Everywhere since its availability is currently limited to PCs and Macs. This agreement adds another authenticated service for linear nets ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU that the companies say will be available through broadband and on mobile devices “like an iPad.” No details yet on the launch; they say “forthcoming.” Notably, there’s no similar provision for ABC or Disney cable content.

—Expanded VOD: All too often, the lack of a primetime show on cable VOD sends viewers like me online when we should be able to click the remote and watch. This deal adds ABC On Demand to “many markets” with a number of primetime shows for viewing with fast-forward disabled, along with Disney On Demand from its various kids nets. It also includes subscription VOD service Disney Family Movies and “a new transactional VOD service for select content from the Disney/ABC Television Group.”

What’s it going to cost? Multichannel News sources say the retrans rights for the ABC stations will run 60 cents to 75 cents per sub and that ABC Family and Disney Channel managed “substantial” increases after moving up in the ratings.

More details in the release.

Related

• Updated: Disney Makes Good On Threat; Pulls WABC From Cablevision On Oscar Eve
• Updated: Disney, Cablevision Fight Over Cost Of ‘Free’ TV; Subs May Lose WABC
• Would Disney Yank ABC’s Signal? Iger: ‘We’re Pretty Resolute’
• Let The Flames Begin: Disney Calls Out Cable Operators On Retrans
• TV Everywhere: What We Know—And What’s Missing

Carl Icahn is not being conservative about his opinion that Motorola (NYSE: MOT) will be a more valuable company once it has been split into two publicly held entities. Rather, the shareholder-activist billionaire, who has been investing in the handset-maker since 2007, has bet an additional $111 million into the company in just the past week. His stake now stands at around 250 million shares, or 10.7 percent, reports Barron’s.

In early August, Icahn became the company’s largest shareholder after buying enough shares to increase his stake to almost 10 percent from 8.75 percent in May. Neither Icahn nor Motorola would comment on the buys, but it seems like his silence equals approval, especially since he’s been extremely vocal about Motorola’s missteps in the past.

Two years ago, Icahn was particularly opinionated when he said the company’s board operated like a country club. Back in 2008, Icahn was arguing that this the best path for the company was for the company to break into two. He was pushing for it to happen as soon as possible. Ultimately, to end a proxy fight with Icahn, Motorola gave his representatives two seats on the board. In return, Icahn agreed to end litigation against the company and vote his shares in support of all nominees.

Now the company is on track to complete its break-up by 2011, its Android-based handsets are taking off and it was able to sell some of its network assets to Nokia (NYSE: NOK) Siemens for $1.2 billion.

In afternoon trading, the company’s stock was trading up about 13 cents, or 1.71 percent, to $7.86 a share.

In February, the non-profit global Mobile Marketing Association took steps to tap into the soaring awareness of mobile by breaking up the organization into four operating regions. Today, it is announcing further measures to make sure that the MMA continues to be relevant as the market matures, by announcing new principles and logo.

Curiously, it does this without the oversight of a global CEO. Federico Pisani Massamormile, the MMA’s global board chairman, is serving as the interim CEO after Mike Wehrs resigned Dec. 31.

In a release, the chairman and acting CEO explains how things have changed over the past couple of years: “In its formative years, the MMA placed great emphasis on helping build a global industry, creating standards and guidelines to support the growth of a new industry….In many ways, the need to act as evangelists for the mobile channel has evolved into to a need to get brands and agencies to increase spend on a channel they’re now aware of.”

Here is an abbreviated look at the association’s five so-called “building blocks”:

—Promote the channel, the industry and members.
—Educate brands, agencies and consumers about mobile.
—Create measurement practices to report the size, growth, trends and effectiveness of mobile marketing.
—Establish guidelines for best practices and standards.
—Represent the industry before regulators and legislators.

Related

• MMA CEO And President Mike Wehrs Resigns
• MMA Breaks Up Global Organization Into Four Units; Appoints New North American Leader

As if a sign of the times, Verizon Wireless is offering data to smartphone users who prefer to pay by the month and not commit to a long-term contracts for the very first time. However, the service is neither discounted, nor more expensive than what you get if you did sign a contract. Furthermore, there’s much cheaper plans available in the universe, so this deal will really only appeal to someone who is specifically interested in Verizon’s network, or the variety of phones that it offers.

The variety of phones is really where this offer stands apart from the rest. It works with a dozen of smartphones, ranging from BlackBerry devices, and a handful of Android devices. It also supports some of the upper-end of feature phones, like the LG (SEO: 066570) enV Touch, or the Samsung Alias.

Verizon Wireless says unlimited data will cost $30 a month for smartphones, and that these lower-end devices will also have the option of a $10 monthly data package for 25 MB per month ($.20/MB overage). The offers will be available beginning Sept. 28. Users will have to sign up for a minimum voice plan of $45.
       
The decision by Verizon Wireless to begin offering new prepaid data plans coincides with other carriers offering enticingly low prices on a plethora of service offerings. For instance, Virgin Mobile’s “Beyond Talk” plan charges $25 for unlimited messaging, email, data and Web with 300 voice minutes a month. For $40, you get 1,200 minutes, and for $60, you get unlimited calling and unlimited data. Boost Mobile offers a $50 unlimited plan, which includes calling, texting, data and even unlimited 411 calls. While that sounds great, you only have the option of one smartphone: The BlackBerry Curve. And, that service costs $60 for unlimited access to everything.

Related

• Sprint Launches A $25 Voice And Data Plan That Even Kids Can Afford
• T-Mobile Prepaid Prices Drop Lower And Emphasize Texting
• Clearwire Confirms New ‘Pay As You Go’ Service Is Coming

Since Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) sold three million iPads during the device’s first 80 days on the market, its closest rivals have been busy working on several copycats. Samsung is no different, and has unveiled the Galaxy Tab today, a device very similar to the iPad, although smaller and powered by the Android OS. Samsung believes it can ship 10 million units and take a third of the global tablet market next year, reports the WSJ.

Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) said it will start selling the Tab in all of its European markets and a number of its other markets worldwide in October, and the device is expected to launch in the U.S. over the next few months, but it’s unclear on which carriers.

The Galaxy Tab is basically a larger version of the Samsung Galaxy S phone line, which has been selling briskly in the U.S. through a number of carriers.

The device differs from the iPad in a number of ways. Samsung will primarily be selling it through wireless carriers, implying that most will come bundled with a 3G data plan and offer a subsidized price of between $200 and $300. In addition the screen is 7-inches, or smaller than the iPad, making it easier to hold and use while on the go. The device comes with Adobe (NSDQ: ADBE) Flash, unlike the iPad. And, because of the 3G connectivity, it will be able to make calls, including video conferencing (based on the forward and rear-facing cameras, which the iPad also doesn’t have.)

The one major disadvantage is applications. Apple has already been able to line-up a catalog of 25,000 applications for the iPad. While Android Market has grown tremendously in recent months, the applications won’t necessarily support the larger format.