Mobile network GoTV Networks acquired the HOMBRE (Hands-On Mobile Binary Runtime Environment) division of Hands-On Mobile. Under the terms of the agreement, GoTV Networks will acquire the library of HOMBRE applications, client and server technologies and patents. HOMBRE division employees joining GoTV will continue to be located in San Francisco and in a technology lab in San Diego. Hands-On Mobile will also receive an equity stake in GoTV Networks. The HOMBRE division of Hands-On Mobile includes multiplatform mobile applications for brands and media partners including the Oprah Winfrey Network, ESPN, Sprint, NASCAR, Verizon Wireless and the NFL, among others.
For GoTV, the purchase is a move that expands its already substantial portfolio of mobile video assets. According to Executive Vice President Daniel Tibbets, GoTV Networks produces, on average, 300 short-form mobile episodes and distributes thousands more. The HOMBRE purchase, he said, “adds to what GoTV already does best: build mobile strategy and applications for major media entertainment brands and distribute them everywhere.”
