Sony to launch PSP VOD in the UK

It's not just Japanese PlayStation Portable owners who will shortly be able to watch TV with relative ease on their PSPs. Following Sony Computer Entertainment's E3 launch of a TV tuner for Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has made an announcement in the same vein.

SCEE today confirmed a partnership with the News Corp-owned Sky to bring a video-on-demand service to PSP owners in the UK and Ireland.

A joint-venture company is being formed with equal board-level representation from both SCEE and Sky to "draw on the unrivalled entertainment aggregation expertise and technical leadership of Sky, and the handheld entertainment knowledge and brand power of PlayStation," according to a SCEE release.

The new firm's aim is, according to Sony, to "establish PSP and [Sky's] new ground-breaking video download service as the natural partners for those seeking the ultimate choice of portable entertainment content."

Sony also claimed that discussions were ongoing across Europe to roll out similar services in continental markets, but made no mention of American or Australian plans.

Sky has been offering an on-demand video service since the end of March of this year, which allows users to watch programmes from channels such as MTV Trax, E!, Extreme Sports, and CNN on their 3G-capable mobile phones.

Details on exactly what the service will entail, and how it will relate to the Sky Anytime mobile service, are scant at present, but more details are set to be released at the Games Convention in Leipzig on Wednesday, August 22.