Date:26/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/01/26/stories/2008012651931600.htm

Back Jump Games to create mobile games for Manchester United

Our Bureau

Mumbai, Jan. 25 Jump Games, a Reliance ADAG company, has entered into an exclusive three-year alliance to create mobile gaming and trivia content as the official mobile games partner for Manchester United Football Club. However, financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, Jump Games — which is into creation of mobile games — will design, develop and distribute six exclusive games centred around the football club every year, Mr Rajesh Sawhney, President, Reliance Entertainment, said at a press conference here on Friday. The games will be available globally through local network operators.

Manchester United Football Club is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. It is said to be a popular football club in the world, with over 330 million supporters worldwide.

Mr Salil Bhargava, CEO of Jump Games, said that the first offering from the Jump stable would be a casual crossword centric content, ‘MANCHESTER UNITED Word It!’. It will be globally launched by March this year.

Jump will pay a license fee to Manchester United for creating content centred around the club. The deal also includes a revenue sharing engagement, details of which were not disclosed.

Jump plans to tie up with mobile vendors, handset manufacturers and Web portals across the globe in order to popularise its gaming content.

“We also have been told that Man U will promote our games on its official television channel and Web site,” said Mr Sawhney.

Manchester United has about 30 million registered fans in India, making India the third largest fan base for the English soccer club.