SIMON SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ENTERS CELL PHONE ARENA VIA MOBILESIDEWALK™ BOOK DEAL! (MobileSidewalk/New Motion) | MMA Global

SIMON SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ENTERS CELL PHONE ARENA VIA MOBILESIDEWALK™ BOOK DEAL! (MobileSidewalk/New Motion)

May 1, 2006



SIMON SPOTLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT ENTERS CELL PHONE ARENA VIA MOBILESIDEWALK™ BOOK DEAL!

Sneak Peeks, Excerpts, Promotions & Exclusive Access To Subscribers-Only Library Drives Book Sales, Builds Brand

NEW YORK & lRVINE –
A groundbreaking deal bringing popular consumer books to cell phones has been struck between Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE), an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and MobileSidewalk™, an innovative consumer Internet portal for cell phone content, owned by New Motion, Inc. This mobile book excerpt and promotions program is the first of its kind in the publishing and mobile content industries.

A select number of SSE’s current and forthcoming books appealing to the 18 to 34 year old demographic are the focus of the new agreement.  For a nominal monthly fee billed via their cell carrier, consumers will be able to order a mobile phone subscription to “Simon Spotlight Entertainment,”, which will include:<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

§          SMS alerts and messages

§          Sneak previews of upcoming hot titles from SSE

§          Excerpts and/or abridged versions of existing titles

§          Special promotions designed exclusively for SSE subscribers

§          Access to an exclusive library of SSE back titles

§          Book cover artwork and interior art

The new SSE subscription will be launched to the consumer market in May 2006.  The kick-off and each subsequent book release will be promoted via the Internet on sites such as Yahoo and MSN, as well as book sites and other domains of interest to the target demographic.  Keyword searches and print ads will supplement the marketing effort.

The initial list of eight titles, many of which have been on the bestseller list of The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly, will be immediately available when the subscription service launches.  Subsequently, at least one new title will be launched each month, and all titles will be included in the ever-expanding SSE mobile library.  Initial titles include:

ü        He’s Just Not That Into You:  The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys

ü        Saving Face:  How to Lie, Fake, and Maneuver Your Way Out of Life’s Most Awkward Situations

ü        Pocket DJ:  Ultragrrrl’s Guide to Building the Best Music Library

ü        Not Proud:  A Smorgasbord of Shame

ü        What Not To Name Your Baby

ü        Hardly Working:  The Overachieving Underperformer’s Guide to Doing as Little as Possible in the Office

ü        I Hate The Gym

ü        I Hate Valentine’s Day

Jen Bergstrom, vice president and publisher of SSE, said, “Exploring new ways to reach our readers, especially through technology, is a major part of our strategic plan.  MobileSidewalk and the New Motion team have a strong track record in effectively reaching consumers, and we are delighted to be writing this next chapter in publishing history with them.”

Scott Walker, chief executive officer of New Motion, Inc., said, “Unlike many other companies in the newly exploding mobile content arena, our company is extremely consumer-friendly.  SSE subscribers will enjoy ease-of-use and exclusive access to popular fiction and non-fiction titles, which will in turn help SSE boost book sales and build their brand identity.”

The explosive U.S. mobile market, which in 2005 already exceeded $2 billion in sales, is ripe for content development.  Off-deck providers such as MobileSidewalk are at the leading edge, providing a rich array of content, and breaking the download barriers that have plagued consumers in the past.  There are over 200 million cell phone users in the U.S. today.  Over 70 million of those are in the core 14-30 year old demographic, who are five times more likely to pay for and download products.  Projected mobile entertainment revenue will grow from $2 billion in 2005 to over $12 billion by 2009. 



About New Motion, Inc. & MobileSidewalk™
MobileSidewalk™ is a direct-to-consumer company, dedicated to realizing the full potential of cell phones as an entertainment, educational, promotional, marketing and branding medium.  MobileSidewalk includes sports, entertainment, games, fan clubs and lifestyle content, thousands of ringtones and wallpapers, and exclusive promotions and licenses.  A rich interactive experience is assured with MobileSidewalk’s state-of-the-art applications, including SMS, WAP, Java, BREW and video.  Consumer groups are reached with interest-specific campaigns via the Internet, print ads, radio and other methodologies.  Ordering and downloading content is easy and fast, and billing is handled through the cell phone carrier.  Launched in June 2005, MobileSidewalk is owned and operated by Irvine, California-based New Motion, Inc., one of the fastest growing mobile entertainment and marketing companies in the United States.  For more information, please visit www.mobilesidewalk.com
or www.newmotioninc.com.

About Simon Spotlight Entertainment
Simon Spotlight Entertainment (SSE), an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.,  celebrated its first anniversary in September 2005.  The imprint launched in September 2004 with He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, which became an instant national bestseller – hitting the #1 spot on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.  The imprint continues to publish hip original non-fiction, fiction, and media tie-ins.  Recent and upcoming titles include Nothing’s Sacred by Lewis Black, Napoleon Dynomite: The Complete Quote Book, and Attention. Deficit. Disorder. By Brad Listi, the second novel to be published by the imprint.

CONTACT:       
Jennifer Robinson for Simon Spotlight Entertainment
212-698-2719
[email protected]
Karen Strickholm for New Motion, Inc.
505-988-4401
[email protected]


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