News : Microsoft, Discovery in online advertising deal

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp has sold more than 90 percent of its advertising inventory across its web, mobile, and video game businesses to the Discovery Channel for a one-day campaign to promote the television series "Deadliest Catch," the companies said on Monday.

Discovery Communications, owner of the Discovery Channel, did not disclose how much it will spend on the campaign running Tuesday, April 14, but said that the show's full online marketing budget would be devoted to the deal.

The advertising campaign will span MSN, MSN Mobile, Windows Live Hotmail, Microsoft Live Search and Xbox Live, and comes as Microsoft remains in a heated battle with Google Inc and Yahoo Inc for increasingly scarce advertising dollars.

When the campaign launches on Tuesday -- which marks the premiere of the fifth season of the "Deadliest Catch," about crab fishing off the coast of Alaska -- it will involve a variety of Microsoft-developed video, mobile and interactive media.

For instance, Discovery will run interactive ads on the MSN home page, and will allow users to set DVR reminders or text and email alerts. In another example, Discovery will run a "Deadliest Catch" sweepstakes on Xbox Live in which the audience can win award points that may be used to buy games.

(Reporting by Paul Thomasch; Editing by Derek Caney)