Fri, Jul 15, 2011 | 09:53 BST
Microsoft to create new partnerships, not compete, with TV partners for LiveTV
Microsoft IEB CFO Dennis Durkin has said that the company isn’t looking to compete with TV providers over the upcoming launch of the LiveTV service that was debuted at E3.
Instead, Durkin told IG it was actualy aiming to foster new partnerships with providers, akin to the deals currently going with Sky in the UK or Canal+ in France.
“You may be familiar with some of the work we’re doing in the U.K. with BSkyB and Canal+ in France and we also have a partnership with Foxtel in Austrailia. So these are all pay-TV operators. And basically, we’re partner friendly as it relates to their business model. We’re not trying to compete with them. We’re trying to enhance the services that they offer for their customers,” he said.
He continued: “What we found is, by having reinforcing business models and working with them… so you’re a BSkyB customer in the U.K. and an Xbox Live customer, we’ll both support each other’s businesses in very positive ways. And we’ll continue to do that. So we’re very partner friendly as it relates to that.
“We also, in the U.S., with ESPN, we’ve partnered to bring ESPN3 within our ecosystem, which is an announcement we had last year. Again, very partner friendly. They have a business model where they go to market and they monetize that distribution via ISPs – so internet service providers pay them for that ESPN service and we authenticate inside of our business. So if you’re a customer of an ISP that is participating with ESPN, then you get all of that content inside our ecosystem.
“So we’re trying to be very partner friendly as it relates to bringing this content into our ecosystem.”
LiveTV is expected to launch sometime this year.
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Posted in: Microsoft, Xbox 360, tv
Tags: Dennis Durkin
3 comments
#1
OlderGamer
15/07/11, 2:00 pm
Makes no sense. They are saying that if you already pay for a nd get TV, you can now get TV on your Xbox360. Its the same thing with ESPN.
Because I don’t pay for a TV package with Time Warner that includes ESPN, I can not use ESPN over LIVE. The reason is that my ISP, Time Warner Cable, won’t allow it unless I pay for it in a TV package with them.
“so internet service providers pay them for that ESPN service and we authenticate inside of our business. So if you’re a customer of an ISP that is participating with ESPN, then you get all of that content inside our ecosystem.”
Absolutly worthless.
#2
mightyhokie
15/07/11, 4:10 pm
@OlderGamer
So what you are saying is that in order to view the content of MS’s Live TV, you need to pay the cable service provider? Wouldn’t that just make the Xbox 360 the same as your cable box, only without the DVR? That would be ridiculous.
I currently have Netflix and Hulu Plus (that I watch through my PS3, not 360…I save that for gaming), and that allowed me to get rid of my cable TV completely. With Netflix and Hulu we don’t miss it at all.
I checked my ESPN3 through the 360 and it seems to work for me. I used to have Time Warner (now I have Cox) and it is a matter of Time Warner allowing ESPN3 to stream. They do not. Even on your PC you can go and not watch it. I used to complain all the time. Anyway, you shouldn’t need to pay for cable TV in order to watch Live TV. Your provider just needs to have it available. So in other words, if you cable company doesn’t provide HDNet for its customers, you wouldn’t be able to watch HDNet on Live TV if it is one of the channels.
At least that is how I understand it.
#3
OlderGamer
17/07/11, 12:52 am
I agree with everything you just said. I was just venting, cause yes I am locked out of content that I shoul dbe able to use, and its just time warner mostly, but the details of this LIVE TV thing sound a lot like the ESPN/TW thing to me.