MSN vs BBC

12 Mar 2010

Microsoft has introduced the first serious rival to BBC’s popular iPlayer in the MSN Video Player, which will feature a thousand hours of television programming aimed at what is currently considered to be the primary internet audience; young people, young families and professionals. Unlike the iPlayer, which offers a “catch-up” service allowing the audience a limited period of time during which they can watch shows recently shown on one of the BBC channels, the MSN Video Player will supposedly allow viewers to watch a whole series of a show. The service is free, like iPlayer, but is funded by the inclusion of 30 second advertisements before, during and after programmes. The MSN Video Player is only available in Britain.

The key launcher of the service, Ashley Highfield, was previously one of the figures behind the development of the iPlayer. Whether the MSN Video Player can possibly match the success of the iPlayer is questionable, with the latter processing over 40 million processing requests a month. However, by targeting a young audience that is said to be turning further and further away from traditional television, the MSN Video Player may gradually manage to hold its own, especially with promises to air series such as Channel 4’s popular Skins.

In terms of internet popularity, the MSN website is currently the 13th most popular site in Britain (according to http://www.alexa.com/topsites/countries/GB). The introduction of the Video Player is said to be an attempt to increasing MSN’s standing, bumping it higher up into the top 10, where bbc.co.uk sits at 6th place.

Paddy Power has opened a market on what position MSN will sit at on January 1st 2011, with the very slim chance of 1st place at 100/1. Its chances of remaining outside the top 10 are more favourable, at 2/5. Squeezing in somewhere between 6th and 10th has odds of 7/4, or between 2nd and 5th at 12/1. There is also a market over on whether MSN will succeed in its bid to rise higher in the list than the BBC by 2011, with favourable odds of 1/5 on no and 3/1 on yes.

All odds correct at time of writing and are subject to change