MetroPCS announces Dyle Mobile TV service, meets smartphone with live television

DALLAS, NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) and the Mobile Content Venture (MCV) today announced that they are partnering to enable MetroPCS customers to watch live, local broadcast television on their mobile phones later this year. MetroPCS will be the first wireless service provider to offer Dyle Mobile TV to consumers on devices that are pre-loaded with the Dyle application, enabling customers to watch live TV right out of the box. Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) will provide the first smartphone with Dyle, a premium Android device, using ATSC-Mobile technology.

"We're excited to be the first mobile service provider to deliver a unique entertainment offering like Dyle, but more important than being first is our belief that this service will meet the needs of our customers and deliver an exceptional mobile experience," said Tom Keys, president and chief operating officer of MetroPCS. "We know that our customers have a desire to take entertainment with them wherever they go and understand that they want premium services at an incredible value, which we will continue offering by supplying services like Dyle."

Dyle Mobile TV is the consumer-facing brand launched by MCV that will deliver live mobile television content from 15 major broadcast groups including Pearl LLC (Belo Corp., Cox Media Group, E.W. Scripps Co., Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television Inc., Media General Inc., Meredith Corp., Post-Newsweek Stations Inc. and Raycom Media) as well as FOX, ION Television, Bahakel, Univision, Telemundo and NBC. At launch, MCV expects to offer the mobile video service on more than 72 stations in 32 markets covering more than 50 percent of the U.S. population.

"We are thrilled to work with MetroPCS to make live broadcast TV available to mobile consumers," Salil Dalvi and Erik Moreno, co-general managers of MCV said in a joint statement. "This collaboration allows Dyle to take the first step in realizing the broadcaster vision of live, local TV on every smartphone."

"MetroPCS is bringing a unique entertainment service, allowing users to do more on the go," said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile. "We're thrilled to launch the first smartphone with Dyle, providing the ultimate entertainment experience on a Samsung device."

Dyle will enable mobile consumers, for the first time, to watch live national and local news, sports, and entertainment programming via a broadcast television signal.  Consumers will be able to enjoy the local nightly news on the bus, their favorite daytime talk show on their lunch break or live sporting events while running errands.  Samsung smartphones with Dyle will be available later this year in MetroPCS markets and surrounding areas including: Atlanta, Ga.; Boston, Mass.; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Detroit, Mich.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Miami, Fla.; New York, N.Y.; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Tampa, Fla. 

MetroPCS, MCV and Samsung Mobile will be demonstrating Dyle live mobile digital television service next week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 10-13.