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Microsoft is set for war…Hollywood
By Find2k | May 3, 2006
Microsoft is getting partners to all and making the war big for everyone. Everyone who is involved with Microsoft and Bill Gates treat this as a big fight.
Microsoft to partner with Hollywood for MSN programming
Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled a new initiative in which the company will partner with Hollywood production companies in creating original video content for MSN, a move meant to attract more advertising dollars to the entertainment portal that trails rivals Google and Yahoo.
Microsoft unveiled the initiative, called MSN Originals, during the company’s Strategic Account Summit at its, headquarters. The meeting is an opportunity for Microsoft to describe new projects to online advertisers.
Microsoft also unveiled its first two partnerships under the new initiative, one with Hollywood production company Reveille and the other with Be Jane, a multimedia content producer and web community for women’s home improvement
Microsoft did not reveal the new programs planned for MSN, but the company made it clear there would be lots of room for advertisers. Besides the traditional display and streaming video ads, advertisers would also be able to buy product placements in shows, “as well as be deeply involved in the early stages of content creation and production.”
“Together we will push the boundaries of what interactive means for consumers and marketers by bringing together the best of Hollywood, Madison Avenue and Redmond,” Gayle Troberman, senior director of the MSN branded entertainment and experiences team at Microsoft, said in a statement.
Reveille, according to Microsoft, was one of the first production companies to fund a reality TV series, NBC’s “The Restaurant,” by integrating advertising into the content.
The multi-project deal between Reveille and Microsoft gives the latter company exclusive rights to original programming designed specifically for the Internet. Microsoft is creating a production fund that Reveille can use in producing pilots and other MSN-branded programming. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Reveille has produced shows for NBC, including “The Office” and “The Biggest Loser;” as well as FX’s “30 Days,” and MTV’s “Date My Mom.”
In the second content deal, Be Jane will create an online series of video and interactive do-it-yourself home improvement content aimed at women. The programming will be integrated into three MSN properties: Lifestyle, Spaces and Video. Reveille-produced content will be integrated throughout the network.
MSN rivals Yahoo, AOL, formerly America Online; and Google. have also moved aggressively into video. While Google and Yahoo mostly deliver content through search, AOL also airs full-length TV shows through a deal with Warner Bros.
Video is growing in popularity on the web, and is expected to provide a significant boost to the number of US web searches this year, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. In February, consumer appetite for photos and graphics helped drive a 38 percent increase in online searches to 5.3 billion.
Advertising tied to search results makes up a large percentage of total online ad revenue. MSN, however, has always trailed Google and Yahoo in search. In March, MSN had 11 percent of the market, compared with Google’s 49 percent, and Yahoo’s 22 percent, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.
Video, however, which is still new to the web and to advertisers, is expected to become a lucrative avenue for ad revenue.
Copyright (c) 2006 CMP Media LLC
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Topics: Internet Marketing and MSN |