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Microsoft has announced that it is stepping up its MSN video platform in the UK to start delivering full length TV shows and movies for free.
The beta version of the new service kicks off next week with around 300 hours of shows like Peep Show, Shameless, Hustle and League of Gentlemen as well as classic shows such as The Young Ones.
The platform will be ad-funded and bring together content from several distributors, including the BBC and All3Media.
According to Comscore, around a quarter of us are turning to the internet to be able to catch up on shows we've missed as well as view user generated content from sites like YouTube, highlighting how online video is going from strength to strength both at home and while mobile, and Microsoft is hoping to expand its share of the market.
"We want to be one of the UK's top free premium video on demand destinations," said Ashley Highfield, managing director and vice president of Consumer and Online at Microsoft UK.
Although Microsoft already has a substantial video audience and has the brand and the resources to throw at this, it is coming to the party a little late, with the BBC iPlayer and Channel Four's 4oD service both pretty well established.
That said, with the success of project Kangaroo looking ever more unlikely this could be Microsoft's chance to step in and offer a similar service by combining content from several major providers. Also if the company can bring this platform to all the major mobile operating systems it could be on to a winner here.
But given that ISPs have already complained about the added pressure the iPlayer has added to their networks, this move could see them up in arms again. Stay tuned for more angry service providers demanding a cut of the revenue to help fund the infrastructure upgrades they'll say they need to cope with the growing demand for rich media.
30 Jul 2009
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