British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) and Nokia have signed a deal to offer live coverage of Sky Sports and Sky News on selected Nokia devices through free application that will give Nokia smartphone users a way to watch live Premiership football matches on their phones.

The companies say the new service “is set to revolutionise the viewing habits of Nokia phone owners… with real time sports, entertainment and news services whilst on the move”.

As far as I know, application is only compatible with the 5th edition devices, Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, and Nokia 5530, with the Nokia 5230 and X6 version that is expected to be available shortly. Additionally, version for selected 3rd ed handsets will be also available but with non-live mobile TV features.

Rupert Englander, Nokia’s head of services marketing UK, says (via mad.co.uk): “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to help make life easier for our consumers. Modern lifestyles have driven demand for great mobile content and services on-the-go and it’s great to know that this app will make a real difference to Nokia users. The partnership with Sky is just one of many that will bring everyday products and services to the pockets of our customers- all accessible quickly and easily through the Ovi Store.”

David Gibbs, general manager for mobile at Sky, continues: "We're delighted to be working with Nokia to give millions more people the chance to enjoy TV on the move. The success of Sky Mobile TV has shown there's a real appetite for innovative services that allow customers to choose when and where they watch".

Quocirca comms analyst Rob Bamforth said: "The bottleneck is mobile operators' backhaul network and the base station/handset radio efficiency." This means large streamed video clips will have to wait until mobile operators' networks improve significantly.

The app is free from the Ovi Store, and will also allow users to watch on-demand highlights, or program their Sky+ boxes to record the games.