14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has decided to place an increased emphasis on all things Hollywood. In this context, the Redmond company seems right on track to leverage the ever hungry public for celebrity news and serve them exactly what they want. Of course that in fact, the new initiative announced by Microsoft is nothing else than an effort to gather an even lager pool of eyeballs on MSN. The Redmond company has inked a partnership with online source of celebrity news Variety. As a consequence, additional information related to the entertainment industry would be served on a silver platter to MSN users courtesy of variety. From Microsoft's perspective, Variety will benefit from a global exposure thanks to the MSN brand, while its own users will be able to access an increased volume of information.
"For decades, Variety has set the standard in reporting on the entertainment industry," said Jeff Dossett, executive producer and general manager for MSN. "We've seen a growing appetite on MSN for Hollywood information, and this collaboration will help us continue to offer our audience the best source for what's happening in the entertainment industry."
"Variety has long provided the best source of information to meet the needs of entertainment industry professionals. Variety also allows us to provide the kind of insider insights and scoops that the broader entertainment enthusiast wants," said Charlie Koones, president and publisher of Variety. "Our distribution partnership with MSN will allow their users to enjoy the kind of in-depth entertainment coverage only Variety can provide."
September 19 marks the first day when users will be able to access Variety content provided on MSN Entertainment. Microsoft has boasted that MSN accounts for in excess of 465 million unique users worldwide per month, but the new partnership and content for MSN Entertainment might be an indication of an aspect of the online destination that is limping.