The MSN Video Player launches next week in the UK offering 300 hours of TV programmes for free.

From next week (3 August), free Video-On-Demand (VOD) will be available from MSN, offering full-length television programmes from BBC Worldwide and ALL3MEDIA.

The MSN Video Player’s beta service will initially offer over 300 hours of free-to-view UK shows such as Peep Show, Shameless, Hustle and League of Gentlemen as well as classic shows such as The Young Ones.

MSN is the UK’s most popular news and entertainment portal, attracting 16 million unique users every month. The new content will extend the current offering of short videos featuring news, movies, music, TV and sport, and other exclusive content including live performances from popular music artists and movie trailers.

Ashley Highfield, MD and VP of Consumer and Online, Microsoft UK, said: “We want to be one of the UK’s top free premium video on demand destinations. We believe Microsoft has a number of unique selling points to achieve this:  we have strong partnerships with leading content providers; established technology; the largest digital advertising sales house in the UK; the ability to roll our service out across other platforms; and most importantly, we’ve got unparalleled reach to an audience who want free, quality video on demand services.”

MSN is able to provide the beta service free to consumers as a result of securing an exclusive deal with GroupM for their advertisers to appear in the pilot. During the pilot period, MSN will work alongside broadcasters, studios, producers and distributors to extend the service and build a fully comprehensive library of entertainment.

Programmes will be available in both Windows Media Video (WMV) and Flash formats, to cater for both PC and Mac users – initially, the pilot will not use Microsoft’s Silverlight platform, widely touted as a flash alternative.

Programmes will be streamed without DRM (Digital Rights Management) copy protection but will only be available to people with a UK web address. The service joins other catch-up services such as the BBC’s iPlayer, 4OD and US-based Hulu – expected to launch in the UK later in the year.