MUMBAI: BBC World News has inked content deal with six mobile service providers in India. The list includes BPL, MTNL, Airtel, Vodafone, Spice Telecom and Idea Cellular. “BBC world News has tied up for content with six mobile service providers in India. It is part of BBC World News’ positioning as a tri-media news service, delivering international news and information across multiple platforms - TV, online and mobile. We are no longer a linear media,” BBC World MD Anne Barnard said while addressing the press here today. BBC World News content is already on testing mode in three service providers - MTNL, Spice Telecom and Airtel. The news content for mobile will not be updated as frequently as the TV channel. In the days to come, the pubcaster will also deliver news video clip on the mobile platform. "We are currently streaming BBC World News. We will be getting into short news video clips soon," Barnard said. Across the globe, BBC World News has a content tie-up with 34 mobile platforms. "Mobile is the fastest growing out-of-home platform for us," Barnard said. Speaking on the channel's growth, Barnard said BBC World News has a global weekly television audience of 78 million, an increase of 2 million over last year. There has been a 25 per cent rise in weekly Asian audiences over the last five years while in Europe it has grown 50 per cent. The website also has seen strong growth and attracts 29 million users a month. Ad sales grew 20 per cent in 2007, showing that there was space for impartial balanced news. "We have also seen growth in hotel room distribution, up from 1.4 million to 1.6 million in 2007. We saw a 20 per cent increase in hotel room distribution in China. In India, we are distributed in 40,000 luxury hotel rooms," said Barnard. Editorially, BBC World News is looking to deliver more live up-to-the minute news reporting across a broader news agenda. It will also focus on providing more in-depth news and debate, plus global and regional news, business and sports programming. Barnard said that BBC will add more news content across TV, video-on-demand and podcasts. BBC World News is planning to expand World News Today programmes from five to seven hours a day. BBC World News will launch a World News Today-Business Edition later in the month. In July, a new World New Today programme will be launched which will target the Asian evening-peak audience. Weekends will be focussed on delivering topical lifestyle and documentary programming, including commissioned programmes for broadcast. Some of the programmes that are in the pipeline include Euro 2008 (June/July), Inside Olympics (August) and the US Elections (October/November).