EMI Music and T-Mobile are collaborating on a trial of ad-supported mobile video with the support of mobile advertising company, Rhythm Newmedia. The trial will give customers access to free mobile video content embedded with TV-style advertising.
It is being conducted in the UK, where T-Mobile customers will be presented with an electronic program guide (EPG) on their handset that will offer a range of content choices ranging from news, entertainment and sports from top-tier content providers. 
Music videos from EMI UK artists will be the exclusive music offering for the duration of the trial.  When a user selects a video from an EMI Music UK artist such as Lilly Allen, Gorillaz, The Kooks or Robbie Williams, that video is packaged and streamed with specifically targeted advertisements. Advertisers taking part in the trial include Coca Cola Zero, General Motors (UK), Gillette, Land Rover, Microsoft Mobile, Nike and Toyota (GB).      
The trial follows a similar project that EMI and Rhythm launched in April in North America, when EMI became the first major music company to experiment with ad-supported, on-demand and pre-programmed mobile video content.
We see mobile as the key emerging platform to address many of the shortcomings of traditional media today says T-Mobile International EVP, Business Development & Innovation, Tony Kypreos. The increased popularity and penetration on our customer base of rich media and Internet applications allows us to make advertising even more attractive to brands wishing to reach a targeted audience. T-Mobile has focused on evaluating the consumer acceptance and the advertising effectiveness of the mobile medium during 2006 and we see 2007 as the year of deployment across our geographic base.
For EMI, Tony Wadsworth, Chairman and CEO of EMI Music UK and Ireland adds:
“Consumers want to be able to enjoy music in many forms across a variety of different platforms. At EMI, we are experimenting with a number of new and exciting business models to fulfill demand while at the same time ensuring that artists are fully compensated for their work. The advertising-supported model is currently generating a lot of interest, and we think well learn more about what fans want from mobile music in this trial.