TV streaming on the mobile is attracting more users every year

Endemol plans to launch the Extreme Reality Channel, featuring "weird" clips from the world of entertainment, followed by a Comedy Channel.

The new channels are in partnership with mobile phone operators, which are yet to be announced.

Peter Bazalgette, Endemol's chief executive, described mobile TV as a "big success" of the 12 months.

Picture quality

In a speech, Bazalgette said Big Brother fans in Australia, Italy and the UK notched up more than six million streamed minutes and 500,000 downloads on their mobiles during 2005.

However, only a small minority of the mobiles in the current market are the third generation (3G) handsets that provide users with high-quality video, music and TV streaming.

Some research suggests that 65 million people globally will be subscribing to streaming or broadcast TV services by 2010.

Bazalgette said interactivity would be an area vital to the future success of persuading mobile phone users to view TV on their small screens.

Another would be to offer popular programmes such as soaps.

Bazalgette added: "Even if the picture quality isn't brilliant, soap operas work very well on mobiles as people are emotionally involved with the characters and instantly recognise them."