The surprise entertainment hit of the holidays wasn"t in theaters; it was in the living room. With more than 1,000 hours of premium high- and standard-definition content available, Microsoft Corp. announced today at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that Xbox Live® Video Marketplace became a clear leader in the distribution of online entertainment content. In just two months since the launch of the service, the Xbox Live community has been given access to top high- and standard-definition content, from top partners CBS Broadcasting Inc., MTV Networks Co., Paramount Pictures Corp., Turner Broadcasting System Inc., Ultimate Fighting Championship and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Xbox 360 is again leading where it counts, as the only next-generation console offering downloadable high-definition TV shows and films in the U.S.
"Xbox 360 has become one of COMEDY CENTRAL"s leading digital distribution platforms," said Caleb Weinstein, senior vice president, strategy and business development, COMEDY CENTRAL. "In nearly two months, Xbox has become our second highest performing digital distributor. COMEDY CENTRAL is thrilled to continue this partnership and is working to bring more and more content to Video Marketplace in the coming year."
"Bringing our content to the coveted gaming audience on the Xbox 360 has been a huge success and has exceeded our expectations," said Andrew Mellett, vice president of video on demand for Warner Bros. "In fact, Xbox 360 has become one of the top distributors of our content direct to consumers" TV sets over the Internet."
Microsoft Announces Lionsgate as Newest Content Partner
On stage at CES, Microsoft also announced today a new partner for Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) will be bringing a lineup of high-definition films to the service in the coming year. Films such as "An American Haunting," "Blair Witch Project," "Crank," "The Descent," "Employee of the Month," "Hard Candy," "Ninth Gate," "The Punisher," "Requiem for a Dream," "Saw III," "See No Evil" and "Stir of Echoes" will be available for download on Xbox Live Video Marketplace in high definition in 2007.
"This partnership is great for Lionsgate. The Xbox gamer is the same moviegoer who wants to watch "Saw III" or "Crank,"" said Jon Ferro, executive vice president of Lionsgate. "That is why we are so thrilled to bring Lionsgate films to Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Bringing our content to this audience makes perfect sense and reflects our commitment to remain at the cutting edge of content distribution to new media platforms."
Xbox Live: A Leading Online Provider of High-Definition Content
Xbox Live, the only online social network in the living room, is a thriving community of more than 5 million members who have the ability to download a wealth of high-definition games, television and movies. On Xbox Live, the largest online distributor of high-definition content by volume, the vast majority of subscribers choose the high-definition version of media when given a choice between a standard- or high-definition download on the network.
"Until recently, HDTV owners still had a limited variety of content at their fingertips. Now Xbox 360 is one of the premier sources for high-definition content in the living room," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Xbox 360 is the one-stop-shop for the best in high-definition entertainment, whether consumers choose to access our industry-leading catalog of more than 160 high-definition games or to view high-definition television shows and feature films available through Xbox Live or using the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player."
Xbox 360 Offers a Variety of High-Definition Entertainment Choices
With Xbox 360, Microsoft"s goal was to provide customers with a wealth of choices for enjoying high-definition content. For those who are ready to jump into the next generation of DVD, Microsoft also offers the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player. With a projected annualized attach rate of 28 movies per player, HD DVD has proven to be the consumer"s favorite next generation format, according to Nielsen data.
Adding to the growing number of ways consumers can experience their entertainment on Xbox 360, Microsoft also announced at CES plans for the winning combination of Microsoft® TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition and Xbox 360, expected to deliver next-generation television experiences, including standard- and high-definition live television channels, video-on-demand and digital video recording — all on Xbox 360. IPTV on Xbox 360 is expected to be available to consumers by the 2007 holiday season and will be offered by select service providers that are deploying TV services based on the Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform.