Cinemas usher in text ticketing

Mobile phone operator Orange has unveiled the UK cinema industry's first mobile ticketing service.

'Orange Wednesdays', a three-year initiative between the mobile operator and UK cinemas, offers film fans two cinema tickets for the price of one every Wednesday.

Orange customers can take up the offer by texting "Film" to 241, speed dialling 241, or by visiting the Orange World Wap portal, to obtain a unique ticket reference number.

The mobile ticket can then be redeemed in about 97 per cent of the UK's cinemas, said an Orange spokesman.

"Instead of searching listings in local papers, customers can access full film reviews on the Orange World portal and find their nearest cinema using location-based technology," said Jeremy Dale, vice president of brand marketing at Orange.

Orange customers will also be able to access exclusive mobile content for 12 film releases during 2004, as well as film-based downloads, ring tones, games, trailers, news, reviews and film gossip.

"There will be more services available when we launch our 3G technology later this year," added Dale.