Kinect Sports

London – 31 March – Sky and Xbox 360 have signed a product placement deal for the Kinect for Xbox 360 game Kinect Sports, the recent BAFTA Best Family Game award winner , to appear in the pre-title sequence of Sky 1 HD’s sports panel show A League of Their Own.

The Kinect Sports product placement will feature from this Friday 1 ^st April, becoming the first product placement deal to air on Sky.

CPL Productions – the producers of A League of their Own – Sky and Xbox have worked closely together to develop the show’s pre-title sequence which features its stars preparing to go on-air while members of the studio audience gear up in the backstage holding area by playing Kinect Sports , the best-selling Kinect for Xbox 360 game, which offers a fun, controller-free selection of football, bowling, boxing, volley ball, table tennis and track and field experiences for all the family.

The Kinect Sports product placement deal complements Xbox 360’s existing sponsorship of the series. Both sponsorship and product placement deals were negotiated by Sky and the media agency UM London on behalf of Xbox.

Jason Hughes, Head of Branded Content, BSkyB, comments, “We’re delighted to be able to build on our broadcast sponsor partnership with Kinect for Xbox 360 and Kinect Sports in this way, especially as it is the first product placement deal we’ve agreed to make it on air. Both Kinect Sports and A League of Their Own are all about people having fun with sport, and we look forward to working with Xbox to innovate and develop our relationship further over time.”

Adds Stephen McGill, Director of Xbox and Entertainment for Microsoft’s Retail Sales and Marketing Division, UK & IR, “Coming hot on the heels of the Xbox sponsorship of Got to Dance 2, this product placement deal with Sky provides yet another highly innovative partnership opportunity. Kinect Sports is an ideal fit for A League of Their Own, and I’m sure viewers will be interested to see how the game has been integrated into the show.”

Phil Cresswell, Ideation Director, UM London, adds, “We’re really excited to be involved in the first ever product placement deal for Xbox in the UK. The new Ofcom regulations have opened up a great opportunity for us to work with broadcasters, partners and producers in the same way that we have been doing for a number of years across our European markets. Now we can build on our vast experience in this field and apply it more closely to home.”

The revolutionary Kinect for Xbox 360 lets consumers experience games and entertainment, no controller required. Kinect has been named by Guinness World Records as the Fastest Selling Consumer Electronics Device, by selling eight million units in its first 60 days. To date, Kinect for Xbox 360 has sold more than 10 million units worldwide. Currently there are more than 20 Kinect games available, including Kinectimals, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, and Dance Central – with more experiences coming soon.  

-ENDS-

For more information:

Matt Beake, Corporate Communications Manager

BSkyB

0207 905 8829

Matt.beake@bskyb.co.uk

For Xbox 360 consumer media inquiries:

Rebecca Rippin / 020 3047 4018 / rebecca_rippin@jcpr.com

Baz Singh / 020 3047 4024 / baz_singh@jcpr.com                     

For Xbox 360 specialist media enquiries:

Dominic Carey / 01189 095334 / docare@microsoft.com"> v-docare@microsoft.com

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About Kinect

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways — no controller required. Simple to use and fun to play, Kinect for Xbox 360 allows owners to jump into Kinect-enabled games for any type of play, and the Kinect Hub puts your favourite movies and TV programs, music, live sports, and social networks all in one place. The Kinect sensor recognizes you, responds to your gestures, listens to your voice and works with every Xbox 360 console (175 MB of memory required). More information about Kinect for Xbox 360 can be found at http://www.xbox.com/kinect.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier home entertainment and video game system. With the addition of Kinect, Xbox 360 forever transforms social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play — no controller required. Xbox 360 is also home to the best and broadest games as well as the largest on-demand library of music, standard- and high-definition movies, TV shows and digital games, all in one place. The entertainment centre of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the leading social network of 30 million Xbox LIVE members to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information about Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

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.

About Sky

Sky entertains and excites more than 10.1 million homes through the most comprehensive multichannel, multi-platform television service in the UK and Ireland. Sky continues to break new ground with its own portfolio of channels: Sky 1 combines its commitment to UK production with the best of the US; Sky Living pushes ahead with fresh and innovative entertainment formats; Sky Arts is the UK's only dedicated arts channel brand; Sky Sports is still raising the bar in sports broadcasting; Sky News remains a pioneer in television news; and Sky Movies is leading the way in High Definition and on-demand.

Sky also works with dozens of other broadcasters on the satellite platform, online and on mobile. Sky is now leading the UK into the age of high definition television with Sky ⁺ HD, has launched Europe's first 3DTV channel, Sky 3D, and is rolling out Sky Anytime+, its internet delivered video on demand service. The company is also the UK's fastest-growing broadband and home phone provider.