MySpace is to launch on mobile phones in Europe through an exclusive deal with Vodafone.
The service will launch first in the UK and then be rolled out to selected key European markets, thought to include Germany, France and Italy.
MySpace Mobile will come pre-loaded on selected new Vodafone handsets to offer customers an “off-the-shelf” experience as well as being available as a download from the Vodafone Live! portal.
Users of MySpace will be able to edit profiles, find and add friends, post photos and blogs as well as send and receive MySpace messages.
Neither company would comment on the costs associated with the MySpace Mobile service or the length of the exclusive period under the deal, although it is thought to be, at the very maximum, one year.
The two companies have also entered a co-marketing deal that is likely to see MySpace promoted within Vodafone advertising, thought to be the first time that the brand will be seen in major marketing campaigns in the UK.
“Millions of people use MySpace as their primary means of communicating with family and friends so it is vital that we make this available on the move,” said Colin Digiaro, senior vice president of corporate development, international, at MySpace.
The deal to launch MySpace Mobile marks the first extension by parent company Fox Interactive Media into the European mobile marketplace.
John Smelzer, senior vice president and general manager of mobile for Fox Interactive Media, said that the partnership “underscores FIM’s commitment to extending its network of websites to mobile devices on a global basis.”
