Arsenal FC launch PSP-friendly action replay service

Arsenal and Sony are teaming up to enhance football fans' matchday experiences by offering what Sony are calling a world-first: instant replays and league updates streamed directly via wifi to those that bring their Sony PSP along to games at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

By downloading a PSP application from Arsenal's website, match attendees will be able to access various replays, statistics, player profiles, and scores from other matches via the stadium's wifi network.

Previously known as S.PORT during its two year test period, TV Matchday+ is being publicly offered at a price of £10 (€12 / $16) for the remainder of the 2009/10 season.

Sony's Director of Hardware Marketing, John Koller, was recently quoted as saying that the company would benefit from the introduction of Apple's iPad and its gaming applications, as "when people want a deeper, richer console, they start playing on a PSP".

However, as a bespoke application written for the PSP, TV Matchday+ indicates that Sony are just as willing to learn from Apple's handheld successes as they are to dismiss them as competitors.