Robbie Clinches T-Mobile Partnership

Robbie Williams is to be the focus of a comprehensive mobile-music deal with wireless carrier T-Mobile International, the British pop star's record company EMI Music said today (July 27).

In an 18-month partnership with the artist -- one of the longest agreements between an operator and a major-label act -- T-Mobile's customers will have access to exclusive Williams content including full-track downloads, streamed live-concerts, ringtones, realtones, cell-phone wallpapers and logos. The offering may also include previously unreleased recordings.

T-Mobile currently claims 60 million customers across nine European markets. Through the new pact, T-Mobile estimates roughly 2 million users will take up the Williams offering.

"This underpins our commitment to step up our engagement in the music space," Bonn-based Ulli Gritzuhn, T-Mobile International chief marketing office, tells Billboard.biz. "Robbie Williams' broad target audience and the appeal of music are a pull for mobile phones. As the technology matures, it offers the opportunity to improve the services we offer."

T-Mobile's pricing will be similar to existing services in Germany, where realtones cost €2.49 ($3) each, videos cost €1.99 ($2.4) and individual wallpapers cost €1.49 ($1.8).

The full-track Williams downloads will kick off in Germany this fall, followed by other European markets. As part of the deal, Sony Ericsson's new W800i Walkman handsets will come embedded with the artist's content in the near future.

A spokesperson for EMI says, "We'll be working closely with T-Mobile over the coming months to ensure this new partnership forms a perfect synergy with Robbie's new studio album campaign and other projects." EMI Music and Williams' London-based management, IE Music, were involved in negotiating the deal with T-Mobile.

From early next year, the new partnership will also be supported by a T-Mobile pan-European television advertising campaign featuring the artist. London-based Saatchi & Saatchi is T-Mobile's advertising agency.

In recent months, T-Mobile has unveiled a string of music ventures, including its international dance-music Electronic Beats brand and Mobile Mix service.

Williams' support for wireless distribution has been seen in one-off separate deals with the United Kingdom's 3 mobile network, and Carphone Warehouse, Europe's leading cell-phone retailer.