ITN Widens On-Demand Partnerships With MSN Deal

ITN has signed up to provide news content through the internet, with the company’s programmes forming part of internet giant MSN’s new video service, due to launch next month.

The deal will extend ITN’s on-demand offerings, building on recent deals between the broadcaster and internet video providers such as Greengrass (see ITN Signs Up For GreenGrass Web TV) and ITV Local (see ITV Latest To Launch Web TV Trial).

ITN’s Multimedia division will provide the new MSN Video service with news and entertainment content in time for its launch in mid-February. The content will include both breaking news and archive footage from ITN’s 680,000-hour bank of moving imagery.

Feature-based content due for inclusion in the new service will include a collation of ITV’s famous And Finally segments, pulling together some of the more quirky stories each week. The service will also feature lifestyle content, including music and fashion.

In addition to its existing on-demand contracts, ITN has also partnered with search superpower Google, providing content for the company’s new video marketplace.

Explaining the push for internet content, Nicholas Wheeler, managing director of ITN Multimedia said: “At ITN we absolutely believe in the new platforms as the future way of consuming news and have made very effort to make sure we are at the cutting edge of such technology. It is very exciting to be working with a go ahead company like MSN in a new venture like this.”

ITN: 020 7430 4700 www.itn.co.uk