BSkyB, Microsoft Team To Offer Live TV Through Xbox 360 Console

BSkyB has "teamed up with Microsoft to give British video gamers the option of watching its channels, including live Premier League football, through their Xbox 360 games consoles without the need for a satellite dish," according to Richard Wray of the Manchester GUARDIAN. The service, which will launch in the fall, allows viewers to "see what Sky Sports events their friends are watching and sit down with them in a virtual television suite while they watch the game." The deal marks the "first time that Microsoft has pushed live television through its Xbox 360 console," though the service is "not exclusive" to BSkyB. Microsoft has also been working with U.K. telecommunications operator BT Group on a deal that "would plug its BT Vision television product into the console." Sky and Microsoft are "still thrashing out the details of the Xbox 360 service but it will offer at least the 18 channels -- including Sky News and Sky Sports 1 and 2 -- which can be found on the Sky Player." The service will allow Sky to "extend its reach into households that do not want, or cannot have, a satellite dish, but have an Xbox console and internet connection." Wray notes Microsoft "will showcase live TV over the Xbox" at next week's E3 show in L.A. (Manchester GUARDIAN, 5/29).

VIRGIN BID: The FINANCIAL TIMES' Fenton & Edgecliffe-Johnson cite a source as saying that BSkyB has made "what appears to be a knock-out bid for a package of seven digital television channels owned by Virgin Media, offering about 60[%] higher than its nearest challenger." Other bidders "with offers on the table" include Time Warner, NBC Universal, RTL Group and Channel 4, and none "have bid much more than" US$161.3M. BSkyB has bid US$258.1M (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/29).