MUMBAI: The Mobile Media Company announced a three-year agreement with China's Hunan Movie and Television Channel (HTV1), to provide mobile interactive TV shows and services to over 64 million people.

Under the agreement, HTV1 will launch a series of interactive mobile applications from Mobile Media ranging from mobile "Jukebox" type applications to participation TV show formats.

The range of "Jukebox" applications include SMS and MMS chat and poll services that will incorporate content from Hunan TV. A three-hour program format will encourage its audience to interact with each other via SMS, with the messages being screened live during the show.

"Mobile phone to TV screen interaction provides new opportunities to generate revenues and relationships with audiences, and is a great use of non-prime airtime for broadcasters. We see many opportunities for broadcasters to generate one-to-one dialogue with their audiences via the provision of compelling content and interactive TV program formats and services," said Mobile Media executive vice president and Asia Pacific general manager David J Wong.

According to studies by McKinsey & Company, one of the world's leading management consulting firms, adding SMS interactivity within certain TV programs not only strengthens viewer loyalty but also boosts the ratings of popular free-to-air programs.

"We have seen first hand the possibilities of Mobile Media's interactive TV platform. We are excited by the possibilities of enabling our viewers to interact and participate with our programs," said Hunan Movie and Entertainment Channel CEO Mr Mu.

Commenting on the importance of the China market to Mobile Media, Mobile Media CEO Karsten Hauge said, "In China, there are over 300 million mobile phone users and close to nine million new handsets coming into the market per month. This project represents a critical stage in the development of our business in China and we are pleased to partner with a leading TV station such as Hunan Television."