4-page Case Study - Posted 11/19/2007
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Microsoft Online Services Customer Story: Live Earth
“I am not where you expect me to be.”
Eight concerts at the same time—but from the comfort of home.
It isn’t every day that social causes, rock bands, and politicians intersect. But when they do join forces on stages throughout all corners of the earth, where can you go to experience eight concerts around the globe from the comfort of your own home?
Across cities, continents, cultures, and countries, music has a unique power to unite people. And that’s exactly what it did on July 7, 2007—or 7.7.07—when millions of fans around the world harnessed the resonance of music to make a resounding statement about an issue that affects everyone: the environment. Live Earth, a monumental musical event consisted of stage concerts in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, and Hamburg. Live Earth featured a compelling blend of both legendary music acts such as The Police, Genesis, Bon Jovi, and Madonna mixed in with the latest headliners, including Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jack Johnson.
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“Live Earth offered a vision of pop’s future that argued for a kind of cosmic diversity,” raved the Los Angeles Times. The event was “as big as the planet but as small as a PC…an experiment in cultural interconnection.” |
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Los Angeles Times |
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“Live Earth offered a vision of pop’s future that argued for a kind of cosmic diversity,” raved the Los Angeles Times. The event was “as big as the planet but as small as a PC…an experiment in cultural interconnection.”
But in addition to the star-studded line up, what really set Live Earth apart was the fact that people participated from all corners of the globe via the Internet. During the exclusive live coverage on MSN®, 8+ million people globally watched 15+ million streams, with peak simultaneous viewership of 237,000 people, making it the most watched entertainment event in online history. In addition to the more than 15 million video streams served during the event, there were more than 65 million live and on-demand streams served after the concerts—which set a new world record for simultaneous viewers.
In addition to breaking several records in terms of Internet audiences, Live Earth spawned customized sites that have helped transform concert-related traffic into new users and has introduced a new audience to the depth of what MSN has to offer. The event also engaged existing customers and served as the launching pad of a dedicated green channel—which unifies a rapidly growing audience with long-term potential.
Live Earth was the most watched entertainment event in online history. To date, more than 244 million global Live Earth PVs have been delivered, as have more than 65 million global video streams.
“The main benefits of this event went directly to our users,” says Joanne Bradford, Corporate Vice President and Chief Media Officer for MSN. “With Live Earth we created a highly personalized experience. The difference with this was that people had the luxury of experiencing it from the comfort of their own home.”
Live Earth is supported by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
The luxury factor was not lost in the coverage garnered by Live Earth. “Live Earth offered a vision of pop’s future that argued for a kind of cosmic diversity,” raved the Los Angeles Times. “That’s how Live Earth felt on the Internet, anyway—the only really exciting place to watch.” The Los Angeles Times further said that Live Earth was “as big as the planet but as small as a PC … an experiment in cultural interconnection.” The Hollywood Reporter was equally enthusiastic about the event: “MSN delivers do-it-yourself programming, putting users in the front row,” it said.
Live Earth is partnering with the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group, Stop Climate Chaos and other international organizations to take action to solve the global climate crisis.
The coverage generated by Live Earth far surpassed the entertainment press. The Associated Press cited the historical significance of the event: “The Live Earth MSN broadcast will be notable for providing not just live streaming but on-demand options. This is the advantage the Internet has over television—letting the viewer choose the programming.”
CNET weighed in to say, “I give major kudos to Microsoft for being able to do it perfectly. You don’t really have to be there. It’s all streaming on the Internet. That’s how people can really be involved.” And finally, Reuters declared the event as setting a “new stage for Web viewing.”
More than 8 million people globally watched more than 15 million streams, with peak simultaneous viewership of 237,000 people via the exclusive online coverage on MSN.
