Before the year is out, British Telecom, in partnership with Microsoft, will announce a deal that brings IPTV to Xbox 360.
As part of the deal, only subscribers to BT will be able access IPTV services, which Microsoft currently powers through BT’s Vision initiative.
While BT is unable to confirm exclusivity, no other broadcaster or internet service provider is working on IPTV with Microsoft. And, with BT Vision currently served via Microsoft Mediaroom (a software solution to deliver broadcasts) the agreement between the two companies solidifies an already close relationship.
Speaking exclusively to 360 Gamer, a British Telecom spokesperson stated: “Online gaming is a market we have targeted heavily for our BT Total Broadband service, with many tens of thousands of gamers already enjoying the UK's best performing ADSL broadband service.
He continued by saying that, “for many families, videogames consoles happily share space in the living room. The hardware is not the issue - what is the issue is the service, and delivering the all-important choice, convenience and control that consumers want.”
In offering IPTV through a partnership with Microsoft, the telecommunications giant will be in a position to buy Xbox 360s direct from Microsoft, and offer a console fully equipped to watch and record free-to-air, paid and on-demand television content to customers, without the need to pay for a set-top-box. From BT's perspective, offering a games console as its set-top-box, BT customers will have yet more choice, and also the ability to experience the world’s market leading next generation console.
For the full, exclusive story, including extended comment from Microsoft and British Telecom, look out for 360 Gamer issue 31, available in newsagents and on this very website from the 13 August.
