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Microsoft and Viacom ink major online advertising deal
Viacom has signed a major online advertising deal with Microsoft, which will see the software giant serving digital ads across Viacom websites such as MTV and Comedy Central.As well as this, Microsoft will be able to distribute Viacom content through its Xbox Live online gaming system and MSN channels.
The deal is worth $500 million and will see Viacom using the Atlas technology that Microsoft got when it bought Internet Advertising firm aQuantive for $6 billion earlier this year. This was previously done by DoubleClick, the advertising firm that Google is in the process of buying.
"That's an important reference win for Microsoft," analyst Matt Rosoff of Directions told the Seattle Times.
"aQuantive is a relatively new part of Microsoft, so if they can get high-profile customers, it will help them sell more of the platform in the long run.
"It will be interesting to see how many more of these kinds of deals Microsoft is able to find in the advertising space."
Microsoft and Viacom shares both rose on news of the deal.
Microsoft News posted on 21 December 2007
