MSN Editorial gets behind Bing Video
Consume video with the power of MSN and Bing combined
Today we’re launching a new way for our customers to experience video. Microsoft is combining the powerful technology behind Bing Videos, with the premium content and media expertise from MSN Video, to deliver a sophisticated online video offering.
Online video usage is skyrocketing – with over 81% of people online viewing video and the average video user consuming over 8 hours of video each month. More and more of our customers are using online video as their predominant form of entertainment – with over 35% of people online watching TV shows or movies online each month. The combination of explosive growth in our customer’s habits with a tremendous advertiser opportunity has led us to a deep investment in video.
MSN has been leader in online video for some time – we first launched video on our site in the mid-1990’s and since then have pioneered the delivery of online video to offer hallmark events to our customers – such as the 2008 Summer Olympics and the Live Earth concerts in 2007 – which was the most watched live event at the time.
Now, MSN is more committed to video than ever. With in-line, high-quality video integrated into its new MSN homepage, immersive video integrated through-out the MSN network, and with multiple links to the new Bing Videos experience.
Today, we are announcing a new version of Bing Videos that brings together the rich editorial content and programming of MSN Video with the web-wide breadth and great search capabilities of Bing, to deliver a new online video destination that offers a comprehensive and faster video experience. Bing Videos simplifies finding and watching the widest selection of premium and general video from around the Web. You can browse through a rich selection of videos that are chosen editorially and algorithmically throughout the site. When searching for video, features like smart-motion thumbnails make it simple to find the exact video you’re looking for. And Bing Videos offers a feature-rich, consistent playback experience for watching video from more than 300 content providers like MSN, Hulu, CBS, MySpace, DailyMotion, and YouTube.
MSN continues to invest in creating engaging original programming like Last Night on TV and offering the best video content from providers like MSNBC, Fox Sports, National Geographic, Entertainment Tonight, and more. Bing Videos will be a great new distribution vehicle for MSN Video content and the MSN video experience on Bing Videos will use a new HD-capable player (using Silverlight Smooth Streaming).
Our customers love video – on the homepage, on our channels, pretty much everywhere on MSN. Today, they can find video even easier with the new Bing Video. Rob Bennett, GM of Network Programming, talks about Microsoft’s investment in video and why Bing Video is another great example of synergy between Bing and MSN.
Rob Bennett
GM MSN Networking Programming