Earlier this week, Wicked Pictures, a leading XXX production house, inked a licensing deal with Brickhouse Mobile, one of the companies leading the charge to bring porn to cell phones.
The two firms hope the pact will result in adult fare for mobile customers around the world.
They have many reasons to expect a lucrative relationship. The Yankee Group predicts the mobile adult-content business to be worth $1 billion worldwide by 2008, while Juniper Research has it at $2.1 billion by 2009.
Either way, it's big bucks.
But not necessarily in America. Adult content has been available for a couple of years in Europe and Asia, but conservative U.S. carriers -- and an anti-porn administration -- have the adult industry taking it slow to put flesh on U.S. phones.
Still, some carriers are offering mobile ring tones using the voices of well-known porn stars, or "moan and groan tones."
Others sell sexy wallpapers, saucy stills or short video clips. Most is mild: swimwear and lingerie rather than anything hard core.
But the mobile porn industry expects cell phones to be like cable TV: a little flesh at first, then more -- maybe a lot more -- as the medium matures.
This is where Brickhouse Mobile steps in: The company aims to broker deals between the porn industry and carriers.
Wired News talked to Brickhouse President Clinton Fayling about the Wicked deal, the industry, regulation and more.
Wired News: Explain why the Wicked deal matters?
Clinton Fayling: Wicked is one of the leading adult film studios. Part of Brickhouse's plan is to work with top-tier clients in the adult space. With Wicked, we will develop mobile content from their existing inventory of photographs and video. We will also work with them to create content that is custom for the mobile environment, like ring tones featuring their contract stars, photos and video shot with the mobile format in mind. We believe mobile will have a bigger impact on the adult industry than even the internet. We are going to work with carriers and abide by their standards and practices. For the U.S. market, that means featuring Wicked contract stars in lingerie and bikinis. Internationally, we will offer nude content.
WN: Why do you think mobile will be bigger for adult content than the internet?
Fayling: Because mobile is truly a personal device. Your computer may be viewed or used by a family member, friend or co-worker, but the phone is something that rarely leaves the owner's sight. The viewing experience is different, but mobile content is intended for short periods of viewing time. Internationally, acceptance has been swift. It has been slower in the U.S., because we've been spoiled by broadband. But we will catch up.
WN: What do you think of the projections for the mobile adult-entertainment market?
Fayling: The projections are all over the map. But I fall back to the lessons learned with the internet. One of the great features of the mobile phone is internet access virtually anywhere. If typical adult consumers access the internet via their PCs, why wouldn't they do the same wirelessly? The only factor that could skew the numbers is the type of adult content that can be accessed via your mobile phone. We are playing by the carrier rules, and we understand they want to move ahead cautiously to balance their subscribers' interests and concerns.
WN: So how do you deal with skittish U.S. carriers and still build a business?
Fayling: We have been working with the carriers for years. We understand their concerns and want long-term relationships. We take every measure to ensure that our content isn't viewed by children. We respect the carriers' conservative approach, because we feel that together we can do things to make the mobile adult experience more secure than it is on the internet. And I think carriers throughout the world realize what the adult industry means in terms of revenue. Still, some carriers may never touch adult content in any shape or form. Some may find some middle ground and just offer sexy content. And others will let the market decide and offer adult content to adults willing to pay for it.
WN: Can you elaborate on how you can ensure adult content is not viewed by children?
Fayling: Well, in Europe there is a PIN system used to verify age. Once verified, a PIN is issued for accessing adult sites. In the U.S., the process is still being debated. That's a big reason why adult content isn't currently available. But one idea is credit-card verification, the thought being you should be 18 to have a credit card. Another thought is the PIN system. And there is even talk about requiring customers to prove their age when they buy a new phone.
WN: Can you talk about how adults can get a similar experience with their mobile devices as they can on the internet?
Fayling: Well, that's my opinion. Others may not agree. With better-quality handsets, larger screen sizes and higher frame rates, the experience of viewing any content, adult or mainstream, continues to improve at a rapid rate. Granted, you are not going to watch a feature-length movie on your phone. But if you want to spend a quick two minutes viewing your favorite Wicked star like Stormy, Jessica, Kaylani or Julia Ann, you can't beat the convenience or mobility. Think of your PC as Wal-Mart and mobile as 7-11. Within a couple of minutes, you can jump on your phone, find your favorite Wicked video clip, pay for it, and have a quick and easy viewing experience. My apologies to Wal-Mart and 7-11, but I hope you get the point.
WN: What kind of technological innovation will take mobile adult to that next level -- to being a $5 billion or $10 billion market?
Fayling: I think the big step is video. That is the best possible format to offer adult content. A number of carriers have stated that bandwidth for rich media such as video will be a non-issue by 2006. That's pretty exciting news. The adult industry already outsells mainstream movie studios in DVD sales. They look forward to a similar level of video dominance in the mobile world.
WN: Companies like Vivid, Hustler and Playboy are getting into the mobile adult business. How can smaller players compete?
Fayling: Well, the big guys will take their share of revenue by name recognition alone. But companies that truly leverage mobile to communicate with their customers in a highly personal way will succeed. Custom content for the phone, interaction services, promotions to drive customers back to the core properties will all be factors.
