The National Basketball Association is placing an increasing emphasis on mobile content as a key element of its strategy to engage fans across all media channels.

The NBA tapped digital content publisher Cellfish Media to launch a range of NBA-themed mobile content that will let basketball fans in the United States further connect with their favorite NBA teams via their handsets. Throughout the year, Cellfish Media will feature NBA mobile content, including wallpapers with logos for all 30 teams, photos and jerseys, as well as a variety of NBA screensavers.

?Cellfish Media's partnership with the NBA is a joint effort in development and distribution of NBA-branded mobile-content products,? said Fabrice Sergent, CEO of Cellfish Media, New York. ?As the leading mobile-media publisher of fan-fueled content, Cellfish Media's strategy is to identify and partner with iconic brands that possess a robust social following.

?With the NBA, Cellfish Media leverages the fanaticism surrounding basketball, converging the explosive mobile platform with social media,? he said. ?The NBA is promoting its exciting partnership with Cellfish Media via social media: Facebook posts, Tweets via the NBA and its 30 teams, the NBA.com Web site, the NBA mobile site, the NBA GameTime app and NBA SMS alerts.

?The consumer call-to-action is to download content, such as apps, wallpaper and ringtones.?

The NBA was unable to respond in time for press.

Cellfish Media recently acquired Airborne Studios with the goal of extending its reach beyond music aficionados to also include sports and entertainment fans.

NBA-themed mobile content
In addition to wallpapers, logos, photos and jerseys, NBA fans will be able to access team-specific ringtones and ringback tones via Cellfish and customize their mobile experience with photos and team themes.

Cellfish Media will also offer NBA-themed applications, including the NBA FanCam, where fans can take a photo and digitally insert NBA products, and then share it with friends via social media platforms. 

Additional applications will include team-inspired graphics for mobile alarm clocks and an NBA portal where fans can access additional NBA content and products.

The mobile channels on which NBA products?including applications, themes, ringtones and wallpapers?will be available on Apple?s iPhone, Google?s Android and Research In Motion?s BlackBerry, as well as Java- and Brew-based feature phones.

?Through this partnership, the NBA can leverage Cellfish Media's expertise to develop and distribute its branded mobile content, expanding NBA's footprint in the mobile and social arenas,? Mr. Sergent said.

Final Take
T-Mobile USA NBA commercial