Microsoft announces partnership with BT Vision to deliver IPTV via Xbox 360

January 10, 2008 – Microsoft has announced at the CES 2008 show in Las Vegas that it has formed a partnership with UK telco BT to offer the latter’s “BT Vision” IPTV service via the Xbox 360, becoming the first such use of the games console as an IPTV platform.

The announcement was made during the show’s keynote address by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Microsoft President Robbie Bach of the Entertainment & Devices Division.  The service will be available to all BT Broadband customers with an Xbox 360 from the middle of this year. 

“We are pleased to partner with Microsoft to deliver a truly compelling connected entertainment experience to our customers,” said Dan Marks, CEO of BT Vision.  “For the first time consumers in the UK will be able to experience the advantages of an advanced TV service together with the benefits of next-generation gaming.  Our aim is to provide BT Vision on multiple platforms – giving customers greater convenience, control and flexibility over what they want to watch, when they watch and how they watch TV.  It also means that we are able to potentially expand our BT Vision customer base by tapping into the popularity of Xbox 360.”

Subscribers will have access to BT Vision’s extensive library of on-demand content, including hundreds of movies and thousands of hours of sporting events, television programming, music videos and other content such as BT Vision Sport’s 242 “near-live” FA Premier League football matches.  Xbox 360 users will not however be able to access the Freeview content offered or use digital video recorder (DVR) functionality, as provided by the dedicated BT vision set-top box (STB), known as the V-Box.  “The reason for streaming only on the Xbox is because currently the console does not have the capability for live TV or enough space for practical downloading of content,” explained a BT spokesperson.

Enrique Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President of the Connected Television Division at Microsoft, added that: “This is an exciting moment in home entertainment.  Last year at CES, we announced Xbox 360 on Microsoft Mediaroom as a powerful platform capable of enabling new entertainment experiences for our consumers, and we are pleased to team with BT to bring this service to market.  Together we are enabling BT Vision customers to be the first in the world to enjoy this next-generation TV and gaming entertainment experience.”