The Hollywood Reporter says that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Deutsche Telekom's mobile phone division have signed a multiyear deal in which Sony will deliver film-based content to T-Mobile's cell phones:

The deal, signed Monday, marks the first ever multiyear content deal between a Hollywood major and a global mobile operator.

Under the agreement, Sony and T-Mobile will jointly develop movie clips, photos, movie-related ring tones and film-themed games for Telekom's wireless subscribers. Customers will be charged between $3-$4.50 to download the content, with revenue being split between Sony and T-Mobile.

Sony, however, will receive "over 50% of the revenue" from the joint venture, a Telekom spokeswoman said Monday.

Games based on SPE films "XXX" and "Stuart Little 2" are set to launch in the United Kingdom in time for the Christmas season with expansion planned for the U.S. and European markets in 2003. In addition to its T-Mobile brand, Telekom also controls U.S. mobile operator VoiceStream.

The deal is a coup for T-Mobile which, like all major mobile operators, is having trouble getting customers to switch from their old cell phones to the new generation of handsets that offer high-speed data transfers and large, full-color screens.