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June 14, 2006
MSN to Exclusively Webcast the Dixie Chicks' First Concert in
Two Years
MSN Will Give Fans Around the World an Opportunity to View the
Entire Dixie Chicks Concert From the Famous Shepherds Bush Empire
in London
REDMOND, Wash., June 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MSN(R) Video
will broadcast the Dixie Chicks' first concert appearance in
over two years -- in London on Thursday, June 15 -- to a worldwide
audience at http://dixiechicks.msn.com. The sold-out concert
at Shepherds Bush Empire, the same location of lead singer Natalie
Maines' now infamous words, will be the group's first concert
webcast and is part of their partnership with MSN Video for delivering
content and a more detailed, intimate glimpse into their world.
The performance, which will be captured by numerous digital film
cameras, will be broadcast at 10 p.m. EDT on June 15 and adjusted
globally in different time zones to better accommodate viewers
from around the world.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO) "We
are thrilled with the early success of our partnership with the
Dixie Chicks, and with the opportunity to bring their kickoff
concert to our global audience," said Rob Bennett, general
manager of Entertainment and Video Services for MSN. "Our
steady stream of unique, engaging content experiences is what
makes MSN the best destination for online entertainment."
The concert and webcast come amid a week of promotional activities
surrounding the June 12 European release of the Dixie Chicks'
new CD, "Taking the Long Way." It will give fans a
sneak peek into what they can expect when the trio officially
starts their worldwide "Accidents & Accusations" tour,
which kicks off in North America on July 21 in Detroit.
"Taking the Long Way" was released in North America and Australia
on May 23. In the U.S., the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album
chart and remains in the top spot for a second week, with almost 800,000 copies
sold in the U.S. to date. The album debuted at No. 2 in Australia and Canada.
This past May, the Dixie Chicks signed a two-year agreement with
MSN to connect fans worldwide with the most comprehensive information
on the band's new album and tour. MSN also gave fans the opportunity
to stream tracks from "Taking the Long Way," before
retail availability and hosted a premiere of the entire album
on May 22, a day before its North American release. In addition,
MSN has hired a writer to follow the band 24x7 for one year with
an all-access pass. The writer will document his experiences
with the band and post behind-the-scenes interviews, articles
and video footage on the site.
Fans who visit http://dixiechicks.msn.com can still stream the
Chicks' new album and download their favorite songs via MSN Music.
About MSN Video
MSN Video is one of the largest video-only streaming services
on the Web, watched by more than 11 million unique users per
month. In addition to streaming news, entertainment and sports
video clips from more than 45 content partners, MSN Video presents
a broad array of live events to online audiences worldwide. More
than 50 top advertisers support MSN Video, which is available
to consumers at no charge. MSN Video is available on the Web
at http://msnvideo.com to consumers in the U.S. MSN Video is
also live in Australia, Canada and Japan, and in Spanish in the
U.S.; the service also is in beta testing in the U.K.
About MSN and Windows Live
MSN attracts more than 465 million unique users worldwide per
month. With localized versions available globally in 42 markets
and 21 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering compelling
programmed content experiences to consumers and online advertising
opportunities to businesses worldwide. Windows Live(TM), a new
set of personal Internet services and software, is designed to
bring together in one place all the relationships, information
and interests people care about most, with enhanced safety and
security features across their PC, devices and the Web.
MSN and Windows
Live will be offered alongside each other as complementary services.
Some Windows Live services entered an early beta phase on Nov.
1, 2005; these and future beta updates can be found at http://ideas.live.com.
Windows Live is available at http://www.live.com. MSN is located
on the Web at http://www.msn.com. MSN worldwide sites are located
at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader
in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses
realize their full potential.
NOTE: Microsoft, MSN and Windows Live are either registered trademarks
or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or
other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may
be the trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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