Microsoft has announced that it is adding ESPN, CBS Interactive Properties, GameSpot, Last.fm, Manga Entertainment and MUZU.TV to its roster of advertising partners on Xbox Live. The companies join the likes of AlloCine, Crackle, Halo Waypoint, MSN and MSNBC.com, TMZ, Today and UFC.
“With the growth of Xbox Live, advertisers no longer have to choose between digital and TV advertising — we’re offering the impact of TV and the interactivity and addressability of digital in one platform,” said Ross Honey, general manager of Xbox Live Entertainment and Advertising at Microsoft. “As more and more industry leaders like ESPN work with us to help monetize their content on Xbox Live, TV media buyers win with the ability to extend their standard TV spots to this highly engaged consumer audience.”
“When we began offering ESPN content on Xbox Live in 2010, it was an entirely new way for fans to interact with ESPN. These new advertising opportunities will give clients a new way to interact with those fans,” said Eric Johnson, ESPN’s executive vice president of multimedia sales. “The Xbox Live platform offers a TV experience with the accountability and interactivity of the Web — all while reaching the right audience at the right time.”
