Microsoft and PRISA sign an agreement for Online Advertising and Content

• PRISA brings its leadership and quality in the content market to the alliance; Microsoft, provides direct access to its services (MSN, Bing, Hotmail, Messenger, etc.)

• As, Cinco Días, Cinemanía and Meristationwill now become an integrated part of the publishing offer available on MSN

PRISA and Microsoft have signed a definitive agreement to offer users unique and innovative digital content consumption experiences. The agreement seeks to unlock the potential of the two groups, by leveraging their combined audiences of over 25 million individual users and the content from PRISA’s sites As, Cinco Días, Cinemanía and Meristation, that will become part of the publishing offer available on MSN. Moreover, PRISA Brand Solutions and Microsoft Advertising will sell advertising space jointly. This agreement is the first step after the strategic alliance announced past December.

More advantages for users and advertisers

Therefore, MSN strengthens its commitment to quality content by making relevant and high quality information available to its audience, backed by the leading publications from the first communication group in Spanish language. Microsoft Advertising will reinforce its commercial offering thanks to new platforms and content that guarantee greater audience penetration and impact.

PRISA will be able to provide its users with more direct access to MSN content, the leading mainstream brand in Spain, which includes several information channels on different themes, as well as immediate access to Microsoft’s services such as Hotmail, Bing and Messenger.

The agreement has been drawn up at Microsoft’s European headquarters in Paris by Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International; María Garaña, Microsoft Spain Country Manager; Juan Luis Cebrián, CEO and President of the Executive Committee of PRISA; José Luis Sainz, Executive President of PRISA News; Kamal M. Bherwani, Chief Digital Officer of PRISA; Andrés Cardó, Chief Operating Officer of PRISA.

For Juan Luis Cebrián, CEO and President of the Executive Committee of PRISA, this agreement is entered in PRISA´s strategy to become an advanced technology company. “There is no better partner than Microsoft for this – he pointed out - and I expect that in a short time our alliance can be extended to other operations”.

According to Jean-Philippe Courtois, President, Microsoft International, “This agreement reflects Microsoft’s global strategy to deliver the best content and services to our online audience in different parts of the world.  This alliance will be very advantageous for both companies as it enables us to increase two-way traffic, as well as guarantee the efficiency and presence of PRISA media and MSN advertisers across all of Microsoft’s online services”.

As Kamal M. Bherwani, Chief Digital Officer of PRISA highlights:  “This agreement represents yet another step PRISA is taking in transforming our digital ad sales model and our digital distribution and monetization model. Microsoft´s MSN reach to both consumers and digital advertisers makes them an ideal partner for PRISA”.

Moreover, María Garaña, Microsoft Spain Country Manager states: “This agreement brings together two exceptional brands: we provide the best of our broad experience in online advertising and a global audience of great interest to advertisers; while PRISA enables us to offer our users a reference information and a quality entertainment through MSN and other Microsoft´s online services”.

Strategic collaboration in innovation

This collaboration in online content and advertising falls within the framework of the strategic alliance set up between PRISA and Microsoft on digital content, education and cloud computing. The agreement outlines the adoption of Microsoft’s state-of-the-art technologies in order to create and exploit PRISA’s services, products and digital content; uniting platforms and projects addressed to educational community; collaboration in developing actions aimed at enriching user experience such as content provision via Xbox, MSN or Messenger; and setting up new applications and services thanks to the business advantages and efficiency delivered by the Cloud Computing model.

PRISA is the leader in content creation and distribution of cultural, educational, information and entertainment Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets, thanks to its multichannel offer top quality products. Present in 22 countries, reaching over 50 million users through its global brands El País, 40 Principales, Santillana and Alfaguara. As the leader in mainstream press, free TV and pay TV, talk radio and music, education and publishing, is one of the largest media groups in the world with an extraordinary range of assets.

MICROSOFT IBÉRICA Microsoft Ibérica is the Spanish subsidiary of the Microsoft Corporation. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential, as well as increase their efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. For more information, visit the website at http://www.microsoft.es

MICROSOFT ADVERTISING offers a range of advertising services to advertisers and ad agencies to connect with consumers in the digital world, helping them get across their brand story in an innovative way. This includes the brands MSN and Windows Live (Messenger and otmail, among others), third-party support technology and services, dvertising on Skype, mobiles and Xbox LIVE, the leader in new interactive TV that combines gaming with premium entertainment content. In total, MicrosoftAdvertising provides advertisers and ad agencies with an audience of over 19 million users in Spain. For more information http://advertising.microsoft.es