Disney to launch Japanese cell service

TOKYO, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Walt Disney Co. and Japan's Softbank Corp. plan to offer Disney-branded cell-phone service with animated content in Japan, the companies said Monday.

No. 3 cell-phone carrier Softbank of Tokyo and Walt Disney's Japan unit said "Disney Mobile" phone service would be sold in Softbank stores starting next spring.

Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

Disney, of Burbank, Calif., began offering a similar Disney Mobile service in the United States in June 2006 using Sprint Nextel Corp.'s network. But it is ending the service Dec. 31 after having trouble finding outlets to sell its phones and related services, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Disney will work more closely with Softbank on content, phone design and marketing than it did with Sprint Nextel, the Journal said.

Disney is likely to target children and families as well as the strong base of Disney fans -- mostly young women -- in the country, the newspaper said.

Tokyo Disneyland and related Tokyo DisneySea were Asia's most popular theme parks by visitor numbers in 2006, Economics Research Associates, of Los Angeles, said.