Microsoft Signs Big Players for Xbox 360 LIVE Entertainment Service

Microsoft unveiled its Xbox 360 online entertainment service boasting content and support from nearly 40 leading TV partners, including Bravo, Comcast, HBO GO, Verizon FiOS and Syfy in the U.S.; BBC in the U.K., Telefónica in Spain; Rogers On Demand in Canada; Televisa in Mexico; ZDF in Germany; and MediaSet in Italy. Content providers already on the Xbox include AT&T, Netflix and Hulu Plus in the U.S., TELUS in Canada, BSkyB in the U.K., Canal+ in France, Vodafone Portugal, VimpelCom in Russia, and FOXTEL in Australia.


Xbox 360 aims for seamless, living room entertainment integrating gaming, music, live TV and video-on-demand using a common interface and controlled by remotes, voice or Microsoft's exclusive Kinnect technology.


Xbox LIVE currently has 35 million members worldwide who spend 2.1 billion hours a month on the service. Microsof said the service has seen three times the growth in video consumption last year.


"Today's announcement is a major step toward realizing our vision to bring you all the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, made easy,�? said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Combining the world's leading TV and entertainment providers with the power of Kinect for Xbox 360* and the intelligence of Bing voice search will make TV and entertainment more personal, social and effortless."


"Microsoft and Verizon share a common vision to transform the ways people enjoy and interact with the entertainment they want — what Verizon calls the borderless lifestyle,�? said Eric Bruno, vice president of consumer and mass business product management for Verizon. “FiOS TV on the Xbox 360 is an excellent example of how we're working with market leaders to erase old technology borders to expand the FiOS TV experience and taking advantage of unique new features including voice- and gesture-control of live TV entertainment via Kinect. This holiday, Verizon will bring a selection of popular live TV channels to Xbox 360 and will be a leader in delivering live, multichannel streaming HD TV, integrated with Kinect, via Xbox."http://www.microsoft.com