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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 13, 2006 MSN 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 groups 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.
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 bands 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, 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.

Source: Microsoft

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