MSN and Control Room will partner to distribute another major concert event this summer, dubbed "Live 8 for the Earth." News of the event comes as talk intensifies that the current live-internet concert deal between the two companies hasn't paid off, Ad Age reports.
But the summer concert, slated for July 7, could help the partnership, as Control Room's internet broadcast of Live 8 in 2005 reached an estimated 90 million people, and its quality was considered superior to broadcast competitors' such as MTV's and VH1's.
The talk is that MSN is losing money on most concerts because advertising isn't covering the production coss. Based on the success of 2005's Live 8 concert, though, the 2007 version should be a revenue winner for MSN.
Y&R, New York will handle creative advertising and promotion for the event on a pro bono basis. Additional event details are expected to be announced this week, but rumors of Al Gore's involvement are already making the rounds in the blogosphere.
