The Walt Disney Co. (DIS) is partnering with Softbank Corp of Japan to offer cellular-phone services in Japan.
Disney's goal in the deal is to grab 1 million users, specifically families, with phones and downloads that will feature characters from the Disney company. Animated content will be one of the differentiators the two companies will hope to penetrate the saturated Japanese market with.
This will mark the first time a business will use another company's network in Japan to launch a mobile phone service, which Disney will lease from Softbank.
Softbank Corp. (SFBTF) is the No. 3 mobile phone carrier in Japan, and will develop the phones in conjunction with Disney.
The Japanese government has been opening up their mobile market by approving more licenses and allowing customers to transfer their numbers if they decide to change carriers.
Entering the Japanese market has obvious value to Disney, for Softbank it will bring them predictable revenue from leasing the frequencies not currently being used.
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