ESPN Mobile:When Will They Ever Learn?

Despite an enormous campaign of house ads ESPNMobile is going under. (Hat tip to Francase Place for the link. And to Gizmodo for the illustration.)

My favorite ESPN Mobile ad just played recently. It featured Seattle running back Shawn Alexander, trying to mix himself an energy drink, then falling to the floor after getting tangled-up with his little dog. Immediately the phone rang and it was a video message with ESPN talent John Clayton saying “this just in, Shawn Alexander is doubtful for Sunday's game after an accident involving a lemon and a wiener dog.” Alexander looks around, wondering who's spying on him.

Funny ad. But phony. And easy to see through. ESPN never really delivered anything special to the phone. It was just a conduit for their content. Besides, does anyone (let alone a famous athlete) really want to live in a world where every incident and foible in their daily lives is instantly broadcast to the world? ESPN as Big Brother.

And that was the basic mistake. The idea that mobile devices, or Internet devices, are merely conduits through which people will passively pay for content has been around for a decade, and despite continual failures, the message never seems to get through to the content companies.

That's not what this is about. The IN in Internet stands for INteractive. It's two-way, it's symmetrical. It's about what I'm doing, not what you're doing. Mobile phones are popular because people want to talk. If they want to listen, they'll get a radio. Same with Internet broadband. If I want to just watch I'll put on the TV.

When will they ever learn?