Back in January, MacNN posted the report titled Apple adds ESPN, ABC Sports to iTunes wherein it was reported that Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney ABC Television Group, stated that “We look forward to building upon the success of our initial iTunes offerings and are dedicated to providing consumers with a variety of high quality entertainment and news content that they can view at their convenience, regardless of time, place or platform.”

Yes, initial iTunes offerings is definitely the key phrase here because a new Disney patent has just surfaced at the U.S. Patent and Trade Office today titled “Graphical user interface for electronic devices,” which provides us with a powerful clue of what’s to come – and more specifically, what’s coming to a wireless iPod near you.

In a nutshell, Disney is preparing a new ESPN web-enabled clamshell cell phone that will allow its users to wirelessly receive ESPN video and text reports as they become available. Disney’s “Patent Claims” concerning the new UI and wireless system are uniquely divided into two distinct groups: One for a cell phone and one simple noted as a portable communications device.

In one of Disney’s patent points it states the following: “For example, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be applied to other mobile electronic devices, such as PDAs, pagers, etc., and to other handheld electronic devices, such as, e.g., the iPod digital music player (available from Apple Computer, Inc.).”

The ESPN User Interface

Disney describes that the content that will be made available on their new mobile GUI will correspond to sports-related content provided by Mobile ESPN(tm), such as RealTime scores, sports-related news, commentary, video and statistics, software applications, e.g., for managing fantasy sports teams, and other sports-related content.

Content pages may include text, links, graphics, pictures, and/or video content. FIG. 5 shows an exemplary content page 4.3 (“Video Highlights (Sport)”) of exemplary application map 405 as it may be displayed in an exemplary screen display 510.

The patent goes on to state that “in the exemplary Mobile ESPN(tm) application, for example, navigation content server may transmit the latest version of a startup content page 2.1 (“News – Lead Stories”) as well as other time sensitive content necessary for the display of frequently used content pages 415, such as lead headlines, sport-specific headlines, and scoreboards. Content server 322 may also transmit headlines related to the subscribers’ favorite teams, and may further download data related to the subscriber’s personalization settings, such as the identities of their favorite teams, players, and/or sports columnists. Alternatively, navigation interface may maintain a copy of such personalization data within system memory 290C of electronic device 100.’

In respect to the operating system, Disney keeps their options open by simply pointing to SmartPhone, Symbian or “some other operating system suitable for the particular configuration of [an] electronic device” Yet being that Disney’s patent makes mention of Apple’s iPod – and being that they just happen to have a great working relationship with Apple at present – it’s clear that at the very least, we’ll be seeing their new UI and/or content on a future wireless iPod – well beyond today’s audio podcast offerings. The whole patent is in context with wireless delivery of ESPN content and therefore this isn’t in dispute.

Could we see an ESPN branded iPod?

Going back to the point that Disney divided their “Patent Claims” uniquely in two parts, a cell phone and a communications device, you have to wonder if there’s a little more to that than meets the eye here.

Evidently, a communications device is where the iPod came into play along side PDA’s and pagers. Yet when it comes to the communications device, Disney provides no illustration as to what that may entail. Their cell phone clearly carries the ESPN branding, as noted to your left. So the question becomes, could Apple launch an ESPN branded wireless iPod in the future – Something along the lines of the Apple-Nike + iPod co-marketing venture? Why not?

With a unique ESPN GUI, there’s enough to justify such a venture, considering that Apple already dedicates an iTunes Music Store podcast page to ESPN which provides an easy way to subscribe to content. Exactly what the Disney patent generically describes in detail.

Furthermore, Apple has a three part pro video report on ESPN Entertainment worth checking out. In that report you’ll note that Will Staeger, executive producer of original entertainment programming for sports cable network ESPN, headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut, asked ” Ramy Katrib of Hollywood-based DigitalFilm Tree to recommend “the most convenient and painless, but most advanced workflow for a breakneck-paced series.” Having recently set up a successful Final Cut Pro and Xsan-based editorial system for the TV series “Scrubs,” Katrib was not long in making a recommendation.”

So considering that ESPN already uses Apple’s Final Cut Pro and X-san-based editorial system in their work flow system and today’s Disney patent discussing how video will be wirelessly transmitted to cell phones, and yes, a wireless iPod, again I say, it’s not too difficult to imagine an ESPN branded iPod – in the least.

And to top it off, Disney filed for another patent back in 2005 titled ” Insurance program for portable media players” in which it pointed to Apple’s iTunes file management or control manager system. At the time it seemed a little odd that Disney would be contemplating such an insurance plan for the iPod. Yet in light of today’s patent, insuring an iPod, or should I say an ESPN branded iPod, it all makes sense. Well at least on paper.

Yet whether we see an ESPN branded iPod in the future or not, for now, the news is clear: ESPN live content, sports news and video clips are on their way to Apple’s next generation wireless iPod – sometime in 2007/2008. That’ll be a great way to kick-start content for Apple’s future wireless iPod, that no doubt, will grab get the attention of every sports enthusiast around the globe.

Written and researched by Neo