Mobile TV was found to be most popular among 25-34 year olds, as they have a high level of interest and acceptance of the medium. Forty-six percent of those who currently subscribe to Mobile TV are below the age of 35, and 65 percent are male. Males were more likely than average to have an interest in Mobile TV, while females were more likely to have little interest.

"While the use of Mobile TV is a growing trend among mobile phone users, its current devotees appear to be the early adopters of new technologies," said Serge Matta, senior vice president of comScore TelecomSolutions.

"As is the case with the majority of technology lifecycles, early adopters include many younger and male consumers. Once the early adopters have had a chance to fully engage with the technology and share their experiences with friends, relatives and colleagues, Mobile TV is substantially more likely to reach a critical mass in the marketplace."

Verizon V-Cast was found to be the leader in product awareness, with 22 percent of consumers saying they were familiar with the service. Other services mentioned were MobiTV, which had 9 percent awareness, and Modeo with 3 percent awareness.

The majority of consumers favor viewing traditional-style Mobile TV content over modified or specialized content. When it comes to watching, 56 percent said they preferred to view an entire TV show instead of a condensed version, and 53 percent were fans of general content such as news.

Cost is the main consideration among consumers choosing a Mobile TV service. Sixty-seven percent said they would watch sponsored advertisements in exchange for free subscriptions, and 64 percent preferred a test period before deciding on a subscription.

Half of respondents said that picture quality was very important, while 47 percent named screen size as a factor and 43 percent were concerned with channel reception.

The study was based on a survey of 2,000 American mobile phone users.

And of course, Yahoo gets a nice chunk of that pie.

The new releases are the result of partnerships with MobiTV, Opera, and go2. The MobiTV is the big one. Yahoo says the partnership allows "a one-stop, fully integrated mobile media-buy across all advertising modes, including text, banner and mobile video.

"As we progress," said Jack Hallahan, vice president of advertising for MobiTV. we will deploy additional features including next-generation interactivity, location-awareness and click-to-act – maximizing the currency this alliance offers brand advertisers, while providing consumers a relevant and meaningful experience."

Nor only is the mobile video angle an interesting departure, but publishers will be able to select different ad formats, including the traditional display and sponsored links, but also video and in-game placements.

There were four products released today: Yahoo! Mobile Ad Network, Mobile Content Engine, Mobile Media Directory and Mobile Site Submit (outlined below). All of them will be integrated into the company’s recently launched oneSearch, accessible via 85 percent of US mobile phones.

OneSearch is designed speed up the mobile search experience by retrieving news headlines, images, and business listings on the same page.

• Yahoo! Mobile Content Engine

For publishers who do not have a mobile site or only have a limited mobile offering to distribute their content to consumers on their mobile phones.

Allows publishers to integrate content into Yahoo! oneSearch. For example, a real estate company could publish a list of homes for sale.

• Yahoo! Mobile Media Directory

Allows publishers to make their mobile media content accessible directly through Yahoo! oneSearch. Publishers could submit a catalog of their content such as ringtones, games, video and applications.

The oneSearch application brings back the directory of content as well as user ratings and reviews.

• Yahoo! Mobile Site Submit

Allow publishers to provide information about their mobile site, such as a description and relevant tags, to ensure that their sites are accurately indexed and available to consumers through Yahoo! oneSearch.

For example, a hotel could submit their mobile site, including description and tag, enabling weekend travelers to find their location and see if they still have rooms available through Yahoo! oneSearch.

The Yahoo! Mobile Publisher Services will go live today in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, US and Vietnam.

Verizon recently launched its mobile TV service in select cities across the nation and has already received a hefty amount of praise. Looking also to capitalize on the mobile TV market, MobiTV has locked up NBC Universal’s content for distribution throughout its wireless service.

So how will it all work? Here’s the skinny on the service direct from MobiTV:

Consumers will be able to access full episodes of select NBCU primetime shows starting at $1.99 for a 24-hour viewing period, although these rates are subject to change by participating wireless carriers. Current seasons of shows produced by NBCU Television Studios will be offered including "The Office" and "Heroes" from NBC, USA’s "Monk," and SCI FI’s "Battlestar Galactica."

"As part of the original cast of network trendsetters who played a role in the launch of the MobiTV service back in 2003, we are honored NBC Universal chose to partner with MobiTV again, setting new trends in mobile content delivery by offering this top rated, full-length primetime programming," said Jeff Bartee, vice president content and programming for MobiTV. 

"This deal represents a significant milestone in the history of television and a key advancement in the mobile television category.  NBC Universal has shown tremendous foresight in realizing this opportunity early, and demonstrated an ability to move aggressively in leveraging this new and rapidly growing distribution channel to better reach their loyal viewers."

It seems you can’t get two words out about technology these days without hearing the word “video” mentioned. And in the realm of mobile video, deals like this tell me that business is only just starting to pick up for those looking to get into the market.

The company that makes MobiTV bills it as “Live Television. Anywhere. Anytime.” USA Today notes how three Berkeley guys took a crazy idea – television on a tiny cellphone screen – and made it reality. Recently they received an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for the service.

MobiTV has been available for almost two years, since Sprint began offering it in November 2003. News, sports, and entertainment fill the lineup of channels offered. And people seem to be watching, as around half a million people subscribe to the service.

A host of rights issues keep primetime programming off MobiTV. Networks have to figure out how they can make money from the small screen, as well as addressing royalties and other contract considerations. That would seem to make reality shows the first candidates for availability from MobiTV, since the “stars” are contest participants.

For someone waiting in an airport for a delayed flight, the option to turn on Fox Sports or MSNBC would be appealing. It will require a multimedia-capable handset, and the addition of a data plan to a subscription. Sprint and Cingular both charge $20 per month for data plans, and then MobiTV costs $9.95 per month on top of that.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.