News Corp. to Launch Xbox Apps

NEW YORK/REDMOND: Microsoft Corporation and News Corporation are planning to launch a series of new apps for Xbox LIVE that will feature content from TV, news and web properties.

The apps will incorporate content from FOX, Fox News Channel, IGN Entertainment and The Wall Street Journal. Video content from the Fox News Channel and FOX apps will be available to authenticated subscribers of participating cable and satellite TV distributors. News Corp. is looking to announce authentication agreements for the FOX and Fox News apps in the near future.

The FOX app will bring authenticated subscribers access to prime-time shows such as Glee, House, New Girl, Bones, The Simpsons and others. The app will also include a number of interactive features, such as Facebook integration and voice and motion controls via Kinect. The Fox News Channel app will feature on-demand videos with anchors and personalities from popular news segments. WSJ Live from The Wall Street Journal offers four total hours of live video programming each business day across The Wall Street Journal Digital Network, including the Journal, Dow Jones Newswires, Barron’s, MarketWatch, SmartMoney and AllThingsD.com. Also, the IGN Entertainment app is dedicated too all things gaming, delivering previews, reviews, gameplay videos and live streams.

All the apps will be available to Xbox LIVE Gold members and are slated to launch this year.

"This new partnership with News Corp., which will bring FOX, Fox News, IGN and The Wall Street Journal to the Xbox LIVE service, is a significant milestone in our vision to bring consumers the entertainment they love, shared with the people they care about, made easy," said Alex Garden, the general manager of Xbox LIVE. "With these new properties on Xbox, you’ll have great on-demand TV options, and using the magic of Kinect, you’ll be able to find the entertainment you want by simply using your voice—whether it’s news and headlines from Fox News and The Wall Street Journal or your favorite FOX shows, like Family Guy and Glee."

"As we continue to find new ways to deliver content to consumers, this partnership with Xbox LIVE enables our viewers to experience News Corp.’s leading media brands in an entirely new and innovative environment," added Jon Miller, the chief digital officer of News Corp. "We look forward to working closely with Microsoft to continue evolving the media experiences on Xbox LIVE and to enable consumers to take advantage of this incredibly popular and fast-growing platform."