Beijing to be first online Olympics

Content will be widely available on the internet for first time

The Olympics will be broadcast online

Media company NBC Universal is to team up with Microsoft to offer online content for the 2008 Olympics.

Content will be available through NBCOlympics.com and MSN.com and will be powered by Microsoft's Silverlight online video technology.

The partnership will show how broadband viewing is superior to traditional channels, Microsoft founder Bill Gates told the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas yesterday.

"We'll let you customise so you can see what you're interested in," he said. "This type of live-event programming is something that MSN has gotten good at with events like Live Earth."

The partnership will make more than 3,000 hours of live and on-demand content available. NBC Universal and Microsoft will share online advertising revenues in an undisclosed percentage deal.

The web site will offer up to 30 simultaneous live feeds, and will contain interactive features such as games, sport statistics and social networking functions.

The partnership expects to make about 3,600 hours of content available through the portals.