MSN Video Player closes on 170,000 views

Microsoft's recently launched MSN Video Player has attracted almost 170,000 video views in its opening 11 days of availability, according to The Guardian.

During a pilot of the on-demand service from August 3 to 14, a total of 167,487 videos were viewed by 154,841 users, with the most popular shows being That Mitchell And Webb Look, The Young Ones, How to Look Good Naked, Peep Show and Derren Brown: Trick Of The Mind.

In comparison to these figures, BBC iPlayer attracted 359,000 streams and downloads in its first week of launch in December 2007, which increased to 850,000 after two weeks of availability.

However, Microsoft UK managing director Ashley Highfield described the usage figures for MSN Video Player as "encouraging", especially as the service exists outside of the core catch-up resources and only offers archived content.

"We are very happy with the first numbers - it is a very encouraging start," he said. "There is still a strong feeling [in the industry] that, while catch-up TV works, no-one wants older programmes."

He added: "One motivation behind the MSN Video pilot is to see the demand for programmes outside the catch-up TV window."

Highfield was previously chief executive of VOD joint venture Project Kangaroo, but quit the project at the end of last year to join the US software giant.

The Competition Commission later moved to block the BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4-led initiative on grounds that it would represent a "threat to competition in this developing market". The BBC and ITV have since partnered with BT and Five to push ahead on the new IPTV venture Project Canvas.

Transmission firm Arqiva recently completed its purchase of the VOD technology developed for Kangaroo, with a view to launching its own service in the near future.

NBC Universal, News Corporation and Disney VOD joint venture Hulu is also thought to be preparing for an imminent UK launch as competition in the online TV aggregator market increases apace.