Microsoft, Viacom Form $500 Million Partnership for Advertising and Content
Microsoft Corp. and Viacom Inc. formed an advertising and content partnership to provide about $500 million in services to each other over five years. Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, will license television shows and movies from Viacom for use on its MSN Web site and sell advertising for Viacom’s U.S. sites, the companies said in a statement today.
The agreement steps up Microsoft’s competition with Google Inc. and Yahoo! Inc. in online advertising and helps New York- based Viacom expand its Internet presence. Viacom Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman is investing in Web sites including MTV.com as TV audiences go online. To manage Viacom’s advertising, Microsoft will use a system it obtained with the $6 billion purchase of aQuantive Inc. Under the deal, programming from Viacom’s MTV, Comedy Central and BET cable networks as well as the Paramount studio will be distributed on MSN and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video-game system.
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