The Mobile Digital Contents Distribution Scenario

The purpose of this work is to draw the possible reference scenario for Mobile Digital Contents´ distribution and to detect the main macro variables that will drive the evolution process of this market. This paper aims at giving a better understanding of the Mobile Digital Contents´ state of the art and the level of interaction between Mobile and other digital contents supply channels (Internet and TV), with a particular focus on the Italian situation. It begins with an analysis of the academic literature in order to create a rational background, and then, thanks to the experience collected during a series of interviews and case studies, it defines the main operating variables that will set the next steps of this markets. We defined three main strategic scenarios in order to better describe the medium long term market´s evolution: a) real multichannel, when the customers can have access to the contents from any technology platform in an absolutely transparent way (strong discontinuity); b), commercial complementarity, when the rights´ owners maximize the contents´ value through the exploitation of a specialised offer for specific channels (medium- low discontinuity); c) absence of channel integration (maintenance of the state of the art). These three possible evolutions in distribution are likely to have a strong impact not only on mobile digital contents but also, in the medium-long term, on the whole digital contents´ market.