MSN teams with Paramount for full-length movies

MSN Video - soon to house movies
MSN Video - soon to house movies

Microsoft has announced that its MSN Video Player service is to get a nice boost, in the form of movie content from Paramount Pictures.

A new deal – which Microsoft is calling the first of its kind in the UK – means that users will start to see content form Paramount on the player, which will include both movies and clips.

Unfortunately, Microsoft is being tight-lipped with regards to what content will be shown.

But considering Paramount owns the rights to the Transformers franchise, Star Trek and Indian Jones the deal could prove quite lucrative.

Forward thinking

Speaking about the news, Ashley Highfield, managing director of consumer and online at Microsoft said: "MSN's heritage is based on innovation and it is great to work with a forward-thinking film studio like Paramount Pictures.

"This is a pioneering move for MSN Video Player in the UK and the service will continue to evolve with the changing needs and demands of consumers into Europe for MSN Video.

"This deal forms a fundamental part of this growth."

Peep Show

MSN Video already shows a number of full-length TV shows – including Peep Show and What Not To Wear.

MSN Video Player was launched in the UK last August in Beta - a tag it shed in March.

The full-length movies from Paramount will initially be available in the UK, with a rollout to Italy, Spain, France, Germany and the Netherlands to follow.

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.