LONDON and REDMOND, Washington, December 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Silverlight and PlayReady enable BSkyB to deliver an expanded range of
live content to Windows-based PC and Mac users.

Microsoft Corp. and BSkyB announce that Microsoft Silverlight and
PlayReady technologies are enabling Sky Player TV, Sky's online TV service.
Launched today, the service offers access to a range of leading pay TV
entertainment as part of an online-only subscription. The new version of Sky
Player TV, which in addition continues to be offered on a bonus basis to
Sky's DTH (direct-to-home) customers, now delivers live linear channels and
video-on-demand content to Windows-based PCs and, for the first time,
includes live channel support for Macs.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

Sky Player allows consumers with a broadband connection in the U.K. and
Ireland to subscribe to watch a package of channels from Sky on their
computer without the need for a dish or aerial. Sky Player TV has expanded
the content available to include live streaming of linear channels including
all the Sky Sports channels, Sky News, The Disney Channel, National
Geographic and British Eurosport -- with enhanced video quality using
bitrates of up to 1.8 Mbps.

"Microsoft Silverlight and PlayReady allowed us to build and launch this
innovative service quickly, easily and in a package that provides consumers
with even more flexibility in how they engage with Sky content," said Griff
Parry, director of On-Demand, BSkyB. "As technologies that can reliably
enable the rich delivery of high-quality protected content to both
Windows-based PCs and Macs, the use of Silverlight and PlayReady was key in
helping us provide our customers with more choice and control over their
viewing."

Microsoft Silverlight, the next-generation cross-browser platform for
delivering rich media through the Web, uses Silverlight DRM powered by
PlayReady to enable the protected delivery of rich content experiences over
an Internet connection, with reach to both Windows-based PC and Mac users.
The combination of these two technologies and close collaboration with
Microsoft enabled Sky to bring the enhanced Sky Player TV service to market
with greater speed and efficiency. Sky also took advantage of the rich
programming capabilities in Silverlight to build an electronic program guide
(EPG) in the Sky Player TV that replicates the look, feel and functionality
of Sky's familiar EPG, but with the benefits of operating with an
interactive, connected environment.

"We brought technologies like Silverlight and PlayReady to market with
this type of immersive experience and fast-to-market execution in mind," said
Chadd Knowlton, general manager of the Content Access and Protection Group at
Microsoft. "Working closely with Sky allowed us to showcase the unique
capabilities of our technologies and play a role in allowing consumers to
receive and engage with their favorite TV content in a new way."

Silverlight's use of PlayReady technology for content protection means
that Sky can use the PlayReady Server SDK to deliver its range of Windows
Media DRM-protected content to Silverlight clients on both Windows-based PCs
and Macs.

Sky is making the new online only Sky Player TV service available today
and will allow customers to choose from a number of online subscription
packages. Existing Sky TV customers will continue to enjoy access to Sky
Player in line with their core direct-to-home TV subscription entitlement.
For Mac users, the new service includes support for all live linear channels
with plans to add support for on-demand content sometime next year.

More information about the Sky Player service can be found by visiting
http://www.sky.com/skyplayer.

About BSkyB

Sky is the UK's leading entertainment and communications company and
operates the most comprehensive multi-channel television service in the UK
and Ireland. Around 23 million viewers in 9 million households enjoy an
unprecedented choice of movies, news, entertainment and sports channels and
interactive services on Sky Digital.

Sky's aim is to offer customers unparalleled choice in content that best
serves the demands of today's viewers. In delivering entertainment through
the TV, PC and mobile, customers have more control and flexibility over what
they watch and how they watch it. Over 4 million customers use Sky+, Sky's
digital video recorder, to record and store their favourite programmes to
watch them when they want. In May 2006, Sky evolved the television viewing
experience yet further with the launch of the high definition television
service, Sky HD.

In addition to its digital television service, Sky also provides the UK's
largest 3G mobile TV service (Sky Mobile TV) and an on-demand broadband
download service (Sky Player TV).

In July 2006, Sky launched Sky Broadband and Sky Talk, providing great
value broadband internet access and home telephony for Sky customers. Sky is
now the fastest growing ISP in the UK.

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.