National Geographic Mobile has been formed to extend the company’s core mission via mobile programming and games. Aaron Kohn will lead the global rollout of the division, serving as general manager, and will oversee the strategic direction, technology advancement and marketing developments for all National Geographic mobile initiatives.
National Geographic Mobile will partner with leading carriers and global handset manufacturers, aggregators and developers to share their library of award-winning photos, video and new properties.
National Geographic will soon partner with PlayPhone to drive mobile content distribution online. The subscription-based service will allow consumers to download National Geographic wallpapers, ringtones, video and games through their personal computers to their phones.
Recognized for its powerful videos and stunning photography, National Geographic will continue to license its library assets to a wide range of mobile handset manufacturers, aggregators, developers and carriers. Launching in October, National Geographic’s Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) site will encompass all content optimized for mobile, including categories such as news, green, images, music and videos. All content will tie closely to features from National Geographic’s award-winning magazines and Channel.
“National Geographic Mobile brings our brand to a new digital platform, offering audiences the captivating video, images and sounds that only the National Geographic brand can deliver,” said Kohn. “By leveraging our considerable assets, old and new audiences can now enjoy our content on the small screen.”
Prior to National Geographic, Kohn spent a number of years at AOL and FOX, where he was responsible for product and business development and strategy for various units, including international, digital media, mobile, Web properties, and home video. He has more than 10 years of experience spanning the Internet, entertainment and consumer technology industries.