(12 March 2007 6:00 pm)

MUMBAI: US telecom major AT&T has announced a content agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

This has resulted in the largest collection of mobile WWE content to date.

WWE says that its television programming reaching more than 15 million viewers per week in the US. These fans follow WWE across all media, including television, pay-per-view, online, DVDs, magazines, and theatrical films.

Now WWE will work jointly with AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless, to make the mobile device the next extension of WWE, allowing fans to experience a new generation of mobile video and interactivity.

In the coming months, AT&T and WWE will be launching a number of wireless related services. Fans will have access to a custom-built, cutting edge mobile internet WWE portal that will provide access to a deep library of content, and will prove to be a model for a new generation of mobile connectivity.

There will be a collection of WWE-themed videos, ringtones, voice tones and graphics so fans can personalise their mobile experience. In addition, AT&T intends to use WWE content to explore text-based programmes that will offer AT&T's 61 million customers and WWE fans an interactive experience.

AT&T wireless VP marketing John Burbank says, "WWE fans love action -- anytime and anyplace. Now, fans can carry the action with them wherever they go, just in time for WrestleMania."

WWE executive VP, global media Shane McMahon says, "It's all about the WWE fans. Imagine something happens at RAW, SmackDown, or WrestleMania 23, and moments later, that moment in time is available on your AT&T handset.

"Because we own our intellectual property, we have the unparalleled ability to create this must-have content for our fans. In order to create the ideal fan-centric mobile experience, it was necessary to work exclusively with one partner who was an industry leader and that is why we teamed up with an innovator like AT&T."

Headlining the debut of WWE in the mobile arena is an arsenal of video content. WWE Mobile will feature a basic package of short-form videos each month, as well as a premium package, providing a deeper view into WWE. Add this to a library of ringtone, voicetone, and wallpaper content, and AT&T's wireless customers now have on-the-go wireless access to the WWE brand.