Microsoft partners with Viacom

Microsoft has signed a $500 million deal with entertainment giant Viacom for a campaign of collaborative advertising, reported the

LA Times

.

TV shows aired on Viacom owned channels such as MTV and movies from its Paramount studio will be available on Xbox Live and MSN, while Microsoft will deliver advertising on Vicom’s network of websites for the next five years.

"We’ve got a very strong ad proposition, and clearly publishers and advertisers want a choice," said Kevin Johnson, president of Microsoft’s Platforms and Services division.