Network Live, the previously covered live music streaming venture created through a partnership between AOL, XM Satellite Radio and promoters AEG, has been dissolved, with the three partners going their separate ways. The independent company at the heart of the venture, meanwhile, will relaunch with a new partnership with MSN.
Network Live aimed to bring live music to consumers through a range of digital media platforms, including those owned by its partners, and became high profile in the webcasting space after providing AOL's record breaking online coverage of the Live 8 concerts. However, subsequent projects have not been as successful, and Digital Music News quote an AOL insider as saying that all the partners in the joint venture felt it had not panned out as expected.
The Network Live company itself will continue to be run by its founder, Kevin Wall, but will rebrand as Control Room. With its launch partners no longer involved, it has secured MSN as a principle distribution partner, with National Cinemedia, MediaFLO and Wal-Mart also reportedly involved.
Microsoft is expected to offer live content streamed by Control Room via several platforms, including the MSN Video Portal and Xbox Live. On the partnership, Wall told reporters: "With MSN, we have found a global partner that sees the value and profit in providing our rich and cutting-edge live entertainment content to its consumers worldwide".