Microsoft to create new partnerships, not compete, with TV partners for LiveTV

Microsoft IEB CFO Dennis Durkin has said that the company isn't looking to compete with TV providers over the upcoming launch of the LiveTV service that was debuted at E3.

Instead, Durkin told IG it was actualy aiming to foster new partnerships with providers, akin to the deals currently going with Sky in the UK or Canal+ in France.

"You may be familiar with some of the work we’re doing in the U.K. with BSkyB and Canal+ in France and we also have a partnership with Foxtel in Austrailia. So these are all pay-TV operators. And basically, we’re partner friendly as it relates to their business model. We’re not trying to compete with them. We’re trying to enhance the services that they offer for their customers," he said.

He continued: "What we found is, by having reinforcing business models and working with them... so you’re a BSkyB customer in the U.K. and an Xbox Live customer, we’ll both support each other’s businesses in very positive ways. And we’ll continue to do that. So we’re very partner friendly as it relates to that.

"We also, in the U.S., with ESPN, we’ve partnered to bring ESPN3 within our ecosystem, which is an announcement we had last year. Again, very partner friendly. They have a business model where they go to market and they monetize that distribution via ISPs - so internet service providers pay them for that ESPN service and we authenticate inside of our business. So if you’re a customer of an ISP that is participating with ESPN, then you get all of that content inside our ecosystem.

"So we’re trying to be very partner friendly as it relates to bringing this content into our ecosystem."

LiveTV is expected to launch sometime this year.