Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console has been steadily increasing the various things it offers over the last couple of years adding things such as Twitter, Facebook, Last.FM, Sky in the UK, Netflix in the US. There have been rumours for a while now of “Xbox TV”, with Microsoft adding more TV stations, channels, providers to the console and making it more of a media hub and today is the day of reckoning.
Microsoft have announced a crazy awesome set of partnerships for Xbox media including:
UK
There are some awesome additions there…the one’s I’m most excited about are LOVEfilm & BlinkBox. Streaming movies online is something that I really like the idea of but just can’t quite be bothered to set up the necessary infrastructure to use my PC to get it to the TV! 
LOVEfilm, for those that don’t know, is like an English version of Netflix (pre-Qwikster!) where you can rent physical DVD’s and games and also stream films online. However I haven’t really been able to make use of the streaming functionality so this will hugely increase my interaction with LOVEfilm and improve the ROI of my subscription!
There are a few sites there I haven’t heard of before, so it’s good to see Microsoft going for a broader range of services…things such as MUZU & VEVO which are centred around music videos for example.
Other services include HULU, but only for the US & Japan and YouTube is simply listed as “Available in 22 markets” so hopefully the UK will be one!
This is a huge leap forward for Microsoft and the Xbox, and with a number of the providers integrating Kinect into the menus etc. this will keep the Xbox as the leading console for a LONG time to come
The list in it’s entirety is:
• ABC iView – Australia
• AlloCiné – France, Germany, Spain, U.K.
• Antena 3 – Spain
• Astral Media’s Disney XD – Canada
• AT&T** – U.S.
• BBC – U.K.
• blinkbox – U.K.
• Bravo – U.S.
• BSkyB** – U.K.
• Canal+* – France, Spain
• Channel 4 – U.K.
• Channel 5 – U.K.
• CinemaNow (Best Buy) – U.S.
• Comcast – U.S.
• Crackle – Australia, Canada, U.K., U.S.
• Dailymotion – Available in 32 markets
• EPIX – U.S.
• ESPN** – U.S.
• Facebook** – Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
• FOXTEL** – Australia
• GolTV – Spain
• HBO GO – U.S.
• Hulu – Japan
• Hulu +**– U.S.
• iHeartRadio (Clear Channel) – U.S.
• Last.fm** – U.K., U.S.
• LOVEFiLM – Germany, U.K.
• Manga Entertainment – U.S.
• Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment/Real Sports – Canada
• MediaSet – Italy
• MSN with MSNBC.com – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, U.K.
• MUZU.TV – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K.
• Netflix**– Canada, U.S.
• Rogers On Demand Online (RODO) – Canada
• RTVE – Spain
• SBS On Demand – Australia
• Syfy – U.S.
• Telefonica – Spain
• Televisa – Mexico
• “The Today Show” – U.S.
• TELUS** – Canada
• TMZ – U.S.
• Twitter** – Available in all 35 Xbox LIVE markets
• UFC – Canada, U.S.
• Verizon – U.S.
• VEVO – Canada, U.K., U.S.
• VimpelCom** – Russia
• Vodafone Portugal** – Portugal
• YouTube – Available in 22 markets
• ZDF – Germany
• Zune** – Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain
* Xbox LIVE Gold membership and/or other subscriptions/fees required. Kinect
functionality varies by feature, provider and region. ** Denotes existing
partners on Xbox LIVE available today
Again The Netherlands misses out on all the new stuff, we have Zune already.