FLO TV Adds New Movie Channel

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 3/25/2010

San Diego - Qualcomm's FLO TV subsidiary has begun offering a channel dedicated to catalog movies from Sony-owned Crackle.com, the online video-streaming site.

FLO TV is broadcasting the movies back-to-back over a dedicated channel to FLO TV's handheld Personal Television, in-vehicle AV systems offered by Audiovox, and FLO-TV-equipped cellphones offered by AT&T Wireless.

FLO-equipped cellphones from Verizon Wireless do not offer the Crackle channel, a FLO TV spokesperson told TWICE. Crackle's content will also be available through the planned Mophie-made attachment for iPods and iPhones.

The channel's content is included at no extra charge to a consumer's existing monthly subscription price. FLO TV is streaming 32 movies over the channel and plans to expand the selection with time.

Crackle, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, streams original short form series and full-length Sony Pictures TV shows and movies to PCs as well as to Wi-Fi-equipped PlayStation Portables, Sony Walkman products, the iPod, and the iPhone.

FLO TV offers full-length simulcast and time-shifted programming from such content providers as ABC, ABC Entertainment, ABC Family, ABC News, ABC Sports, Adult Swim Mobile, CNBC, ESPN, and the like. Anywhere from 16 to 20 channels are available depending on whether a handheld Personal TV, in-vehicle system, or cellphone is used to tune in. FLO's network covers more than 100 major markets reaching a population of over 200 million people.

For the handheld Personal TV currently retailing at $199, a FLO TV subscription costs $14.99/month for up to 20 channels, although six months of service are included in the Personal TV price, currently advertised by retailers at $199.

The Crackle channel is among the many enhancements that FLO TV plans, including tiered subscription options and TV-program downloads to select FLO TV devices, the company told TWICE at CTIA Wireless 2010.