Microsoft to Get Into Online TV Game in UK

Posted 07/30/2009 at 8:15am | by Paul Lilly

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Broadband subscribers living in the UK will soon be able to watch TV shows over the Internet with a new online TV player Microsoft plans to launch next week, UK newspaper Guardian reports. Dubbed the MSN Video Player, the move fills a void left by the defunct Project Kangaroo and gives MIcrosoft a head start on other competing services like Hulu and Arqiva.

"The hole left by Kangaroo was something that provided a catalyst," said Ashley Highfield, the former BBC director of future media and technology who was briefly Project Kangaroo chief executive before moving to Microsoft. "To some degree there is a void left by Kangaroo, there is a gap for an aggregator."

Microsoft has already struck programming deals with both BBC Worldwide and All3Media. As such, the ad-funded video service will launch with over 300 hours of content from BBC shows, including Peep Show, Shameless, The League of Genlemen, Hotel Babylon, and The Young Ones.

Looking long term, Microsoft hopes to expand its service to the Xbox 360 and to mobile devices.

Image Credit: guardian.co.uk