Microsoft Video Player first figures
August 19, 2009
Microsoft Video Player has had almost 170,000 views of in the first fortnight since it launched in the UK, says the Guardian. Microspft launched a pilot of the MSN Video Player on 3 August after the banning of Project Kangaroo by competition regulators in February.
The first figures on usage show that after 11 full days, there had been 167,487 views of shows and the video website has attracted 154,841 users. Ashley Highfield, the managing director of consumer and online at Microsoft UK, described these as promising figures – especially as MSN Video Player offers archive programming, not a catch-up service of the kind already proven to be a winner with consumers. “There is still a strong feeling [in the market] that, while catchup TV works, no one wants older programmes. One motivation behind the MSN Video pilot is to assess the demand for programmes outside the catchup TV window.”
Microsoft is hoping that its pilot service, with content from BBC Worldwide and All3Media, may establish it as the online TV aggregator of choice for commercial broadcasters. Arqiva, which bought the remnants of Project Kangaroo, is aiming to launch its own service in the coming months.