At least, that's the conclusion to be drawn from this Telecoms.com story claiming that since Virgin Mobile launched its mobile TV service last October, less than 7,000 subscribers have signed up.
It currently offers live streams of BBC1, ITV, Channel 4, E4, ITN News and 50 digital radio stations, which are all received using DAB rather than a 3G network. So is this curtains for mobile TV? I don't think so, but if the figures are true, there are certainly some conclusions to be drawn.
First, maybe people aren't that keen on the Lobster handset that you have to buy in order to get Virgin's mobile TV. As the operator introduces more phones later in the year supporting the service, sales may pick up. But second, do people really want to watch simulcast TV channels on their phone? Or would they be more interested if their phone let them catch up on the shows they missed last night, or earlier in the week?
Without wishing to get too meeja-studies-lecture about it, most new media start by trying to replicate what's gone before. Think those early BBC theatre shows which involved basically pointing a camera at a stage, or the linear nature of many early internet sites, which were basically flat pages of text.
I can't help thinking that mobile TV won't properly take off until it's figured out what makes it different (and, yes, better – or at least more relevant) than what you can watch in your living room.