With college players kicking things off last week and the NFL beginning week one tomorrow night, the cellular phone industry is a key player in the success of the 2006 season. From the carriers to the manufacturers there are many creative and exciting ways for the consumer to stay informed this year. As a fan I thought it would be fun to provide you with a breakdown of what you can expect this season!
One of the most exciting new features for those die-hard fans has to be the introduction of Mobile ESPN. Not only will you constantly receive on-the-go sports content, this football season you will find their RealTime feature to delieve scores to your mobile device directly from the game stadiums. Mobile ESPN is also giving consumers the inside track to putting together the perfect fantasy football team. Enjoy access to player stats, study different match ups, and manage your team directly from your phone.
For those who are looking for updates but feel Mobile ESPN could be a little too much information, Alltel Wireless is bringing their customers access to ESPN Radio Plus, CBS Sportsline's Fantasy Football Companion, and many other football themed promotions. Partnered with many college universities, Alltel announced the introduction of their first promotion, 'My Own Game". Starting with the University of Florida, Alltel Wireless began accepting essays of 50 words or less from students themed 'Why I Deserve My Own Game.' Ten finalists will be selected at each of the qualifying 12 schools for a chance to win the grand prize - a Samsung 42Ó DLP HDTV, a Samsung MP3 player, a college football game named in their honor and tickets to that game for the winner and the winner's "Circle" of 10 friends.
Want for your opinion to count? Cingular Wireless and ESPN are continuing their All-American Player of the Week award program. This gives Cingular customers the ability to cast their vote for their favorite weekly standout. Each week four candidates who had outstanding college football performances the week before will be nominated and votes can be placed from your Cingular Wireless device using text messasging.
Motorola and the NFL will continue their partnership for another five years while Samsung will also continue to be their official HDTV provider. Samsung is also sponsoring the official NFL 2006 kick-off event highlighted with a flag football exhibition. Participants include Marcus Allen, Cris Carter, Wayne Chrebet, and many other former NFL greats.
With so many great new features and events for 2006, I can't wait for the season to really get into full swing. Be sure to continue to watch the ##SITENAMESHORT news section for updates on available contest or specials.