Microsoft negotiating ESPN deal?

The New York Times is reporting that Microsoft has been holding behind-closed-doors chats with US sports broadcaster ESPN with a view to brining streaming live sport to Xbox Live.

The service, if it ever comes to fruition, will work on a subscription basis, it is being claimed.

It appears that any possible deal would be for the North American market for the time being, but with ESPN increasing presence in the UK a deal on this side of the Atlantic remains a possibility.

Xbox 360 owners can already access Premiership football through their consoles thanks to the console’s Sky Player, though access requires the signing of a monthly contract.

Microsoft’s console remains the only current-gen machine without access to BBC’s iPlayer.