New Madonna Song Available Today Exclusively on New LiveEarth.MSN.com

As the exclusive online media partner for Live Earth, MSN® today unveiled a new, enhanced LiveEarth.MSN.com Web site. As part of this new site, beginning today, people around the world can download a free, new Madonna song, “Hey You,” written exclusively for the Live Earth concert series and available only on MSN.com. Live Earth, a monumental music event, will bring together more than 2 billion people to combat the climate crisis. The concerts will be streamed live on July 7 (7/7/07) at http://LiveEarth.MSN.com.

“At MSN, we want to offer people amazing media experiences, like this exclusive song from Madonna and our Live Earth site, that not only inspire, but entertain,” said Joanne Bradford, corporate vice president and chief media officer of MSN. “As the exclusive online partner for Live Earth, we are able to give our 465 million monthly users an exciting and interactive experience that will educate people about climate change and encourage people to take action.”

Madonna’s new song, “Hey You,” inspired by the upcoming Live Earth series of concerts, is now available to download exclusively on MSN.com and LiveEarth.MSN.com. MSN is pleased to offer this song in conjunction with Madonna and is proud to donate 25 cents for each of the first 1 million downloads to the Alliance for Climate Protection, in support of Live Earth. The new song will be performed live by Madonna on 7/7/07 during the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium in London.

“Live Earth is about engaging a global audience with tools to tackle the climate crisis, and MSN plays an instrumental role in helping Live Earth reach its unprecedented audience,” said Kevin Wall, Live Earth founder and producer. “LiveEarth.MSN.com is the only place where people can join our movement anywhere, anytime.”

New Site Deepens User Experience

The new LiveEarth.MSN.com site includes an innovative design that combines a rich entertainment experience with credible information about climate change, the underlying cause behind Live Earth. Through delivery of video, photo galleries, and information about Live Earth artists and venues, audiences will have unprecedented access to this monumental music event. People can watch videos of the various Live Earth venues, download Live Earth-themed wallpaper and other customization features, and join Live Earth communities.



Beginning today, more photos, editorial content and video content are available to heighten users’ knowledge of climate change, stretching across a wide range of topics, including automotive, lifestyle, home remodeling, investing and more. People will find tips, in-depth editorial coverage and solutions for combating climate change, and easy ways they can make a difference.

Publishers Grist.org, Hearst, TreeHugger and Rodale have teamed with MSN to provide thoughtful programming and content on climate-change subjects for the MSN Live Earth site. In addition, MSN is working with leading experts devoted to environmental causes. The Alliance for Climate Protection (http://www.allianceforclimateprotection.org), Conservation International (http://www.conservation.org) and Environmental Defense (http://www.environmentaldefense.org) are lending content and expert counsel to the Live Earth site on MSN.

In addition, to further its focus on fuel-efficient offerings, Chevrolet has signed on as the global sponsor for MSN Live Earth interactive experience. As part of the sponsorship, MSN is developing customized integration for Chevrolet throughout the network, along with advertising space across multiple platforms including MSN, Windows Live™ Messenger and Windows Live Spaces. Later this year, Chevrolet will begin the nation’s largest test market of zero-emissions vehicles when it introduces the Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell to the general public in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and the New York metropolitan area. Other sponsors will be announced in the coming weeks.


More Features to Be Added in Coming Weeks

In the coming weeks, the site will also feature a video show player designed specifically for the Live Earth content that allows viewers to watch videos at their leisure with DVD-style navigation and the ability to create their own playlists to share with friends. In addition, on 7/7/07 the player will allow concert viewers to easily switch between footage of the live concerts, which will be available online only on MSN.com, along with all of the exclusive on-demand footage. MSN will add interactive maps to the site that will allow people to see concert cities and venues, and a Soapbox feature designed to allow users to upload or watch videos about their environmental concerns and music tastes.

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 comprehensive 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.

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.