MSN historical PR timeline
April 2014
Nov. 6, 2013
MSN announced that the msnNOW channel will be retired to adjust the editorial mix and strategy to meet readers’ interests and advertiser needs. Rather than having a single home for trending content, MSN will continue to integrate material through all MSN channels. For more information please visit the MSN blog.
June 12, 2013
MSN announced Motor Trend on MSN, an all-new immersive online automotive experience. The new site, expected to launch in early 2014, will pair Motor Trend’s rich content and unparalleled automotive testing expertise with MSN’s audience reach and technical capability. For more information check out the Microsoft Advertising Blog.
April 9, 2013
MSN announced the beta availability of msnNOW for Firefox, which is part of Mozilla’s new Social API for Firefox. The experience allows people to see what’s trending across the Web on msnNOW including the latest from real-time sources like Facebook, Twitter, Bing and BreakingNews.com directly in a convenient browser sidebar. For more information check out the MSN Blog.
March 18, 2013
MSN partnered with Erin Andrew to highlight sports on MSN for Windows 8 as the fastest comprehensive resource for NCAA tournament news and encourage consumers to try MSN for Windows 8 at local Microsoft stores for a chance to win a trip to the championship game in Atlanta. In addition, MSN released March Madness survey data around how fans experience the tournament. Please see the MSN Blog for more information.
March 14, 2013
MSN announced a new browser experience for iPhone and Android. The new MSN has been streamlined for speed, making it one the fastest media websites on the Web. MSN on iPhone (iOS 5 and 6) and Android (4.x) smartphones is now available at For more information check out the MSN blog.
Feb. 21, 2013
MSN released a study by Principled Technologies Inc. that showed MSN for Windows 8 to be more than four times faster on average than other leading news and information sites. For more information check out the MSN blog.
Dec. 3, 2012
MSN announced moneyNOW, MSN Money’s newest destination for smart, original and entertaining takes on the latest business and investing topics that are buzzing on the Web. For more information check out the MSN blog.
Nov. 27, 2012
MSN launched Firefox with MSN, a version of the popular browser that includes default MSN settings. For more information check out the MSN blog.
Oct. 24, 2012
MSN released MSN for Windows 8. Built exclusively for Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10, MSN for Windows 8 gives people a place where they can be informed, decompress and let their curiosity reign. From the updated user interface to blazing fast speed and comprehensive content, MSN showcases what it does best — instant access to the information people want most. For more details check out the MSN blog.
July 15, 2012
Microsoft Corp. announced the divestiture of its 50 percent share in msnbc.com to joint venture partner NBC. MSNBCwill be fully owned and operated by NBC. For more information check out the MSN blog.
June 28, 2012
MSN announced that Fandango, one of the nation’sNo. 1 ticketing services, will be the official online and mobile movie ticketer for MSN Movies and MSN Entertainment. For more information check out the MSN blog.
June 27, 2012
MSN unveiled a refreshed health and lifestyle site called MSN Healthy Living, featuring new wellness content from respected brands such as Prevention, Health.com, HealthDay, MayoClinic, Harvard and EatingWell. MSN Healthy Living uncovers and explains important health and wellness issues in clear terms and keeps readers up to date on breaking health news. For more information check out the MSN blog.
March 1, 2012
MSN launched MSN Editions, which allows people to choose from one of three custom homepage experiences — Entertainment, News and Sports — to see more of the stories and videos related to their interests, right when they open the MSN homepage. For full details check out the MSN blog.
Feb. 15, 2012
MSN launchedmsnNOW, a new service that gives people a view of breaking trends from across the Web, what people are saying about it and why it matters. It scours the most interesting conversations happening on Facebook and Twitter, the most popular searches on Bing, and the most interesting topics on BreakingNews.com — all in one place.msnNOW expert editors add key insights on why a story is trending, if it’s true and where to find out more, so people are the most informed of their friends on the latest trends. Check out the MSN blog for more information.
Feb. 9, 2012
Microsoft announced the MSN for iPad app, which delivers a visually rich, touch-enabled experience that aggregates content all in one place. Users can browse all MSN content reimagined as an online magazine. Check out theMSN blog for full details.
Feb. 1, 2012
MSN announced the official transition of MSN Lifestyle to MSN Living, which now features new content from outlets such as Glamour, Cosmo, GQ, Parenting, and the latest posts from bloggers and fashion/beauty experts. MSN Living is the online destination for people to connect with timely and relevant trends in beauty, fashion, home décor and wedding style, as well as expert parenting and relationship advice. Full details are available on the MSN blog.
Dec. 12, 2011
Hearst Digital Media and MSN announced the relaunch of Delish.com,with a new logo and color scheme, simplified navigation and search features, and new advertiser sponsorship options. The change also integrates HTML5 functionality into the homepage video promo player.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Nov. 29, 2011
MSN Money launched a refreshed version of its Top Stockssite. In addition to a new look, the redesigned Top Stocks siteincorporates several new contributors, including industry pundit Gene Marcial, who brings his well-known Inside Wall Street column exclusively to MSN twice a week. Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Nov. 16, 2011
MSN announced the availability of the OnPoint app on Windows Phone, iPhone and iPad, andAndroid devices. OnPoint combines the best women’s lifestyle content from MSN and its partners, including Delish.com, Women’s Health, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping and more. The app places content women care about, including fashion, fitness, food and more, right at women’s fingertips.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
June 16, 2011
MSN announced MSN Book Club, an online lifestyle resource designed to give its more than 600 million readers access to a variety of content, including exclusive videos and interviews from featured authors.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
June 8, 2011
MSN updated the MSN Video channel on MSN Mobile, making it easier for users to discover and watch videos while on the go. With more than 30 video galleries, including news, viral, sports and celebrities, users are bound to find what interests them. In addition, MSN Video rolls outan HTML5-enabled video player for a more immersive experience.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
May 25, 2011
MSN expanded the availability of the Onit app to iPhone and iPad. The app serves as the “guy’s guide” to cars, girls, gadgets, fitness, events and more, aggregating top content from across the Web and putting it at users’ fingertips. Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
March 17, 2011
MSN and several of its partners —including Men’s Health, Runner’s World, Popular Mechanics, Esquire and thesmokingjacket.com —launchedOnit, a new men’s lifestyle app exclusively for Windows Phone 7. The app serves as the “guy’s guide” to cars, girls, gadgets, fitness, events and more, aggregating top content from across the Web and putting it at users’ fingertips.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Feb.16, 2011
MSN rolled out two new mobile releases: MSN Video for Windows Phone 7 and MSN Lifestyle Channel on mobile. MSN Video gives Windows Phone 7 users access to a huge selection of video content including sports, entertainment and news, as well as top MSN Originals. MSN Lifestyle Channel provides users with the ability to explore articles and slideshows from top brands,such asCosmopolitan, Esquire, InStyleand Marie Claire, using MSN Lifestyle Channel on mobile on iOS, Android or Windows Phone 7.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Dec.1, 2010
MSN, partnering with Rodale, launchedFitbie, a new addition to the MSN Lifestyle Channel portfolio of sites designed as an authoritative source for fitness, diet and weight loss content. Fitbie brings premium content from Rodale’s brands, including Women’s Health, Prevention, Runner’s World, Bicycling and Men’s Health, offering advice on how to look, feel and live better by making the right diet and fitness choices.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
May 13, 2010
MSN Mobile launched a new homepage, which has the same look and feel of MSN.com.The new mobile homepage offers mobile Internet users access to a broad range of content and services that they need to stay in the know, including video within content, one-click access to Bing, Hotmail and Messenger and more. The page design is optimized for mobile devices and provides smartphone users with a highly usable, relevant mobile experience. It provides consumers and advertisers with the same clean, consistent experience across both the PC and mobile.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
April 6, 2010
Microsoft, BermanBraun and Hachette Filipacchi Media (HFM) U.S., launchedGlo, a new lifestyle site that focuses on style, beauty, living and relationship content. Glo utilizes a unique vertical scrolling method that presents its topics daily with a fresh and in-the-know perspective, filled with glossy, full-screen photo galleries, videos, and unique features.It combines the imagery and feel of a magazine with the appeal of a dynamic site such as WONDERWALL, to offer an online destination that is neither traditional Web nor print. The success of the joint venture, Wonderwall, propelled MSN and BermanBraun to deepen their alliance and add the category experience of HFM. Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
March 9, 2010
MSN announced the general availability of its new homepage to its more than 100 million U.S. customers. The new homepage helps people stay in the know with the best search experience from Bing, the latest news and hottest entertainment from popular and trusted sources, and favorite social networks — all in a fresh new look.It offers a local experience with its MSN Local Edition, which delivers one of the most comprehensive local experiences on the Web. Following the preview launch in November 2009, MSN made more than 30 updates, following 70,000 piecesof customer feedback. Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Feb. 8, 2010
MSN teamed up with NBC Universal to create “NBCOlympics.com on MSN,” a next-generation online experience for Olympic fans across the United States that set online viewing records and drew critical acclaim at the 2008 Beijing Games — making it a go-to resource for the 2010 WinterOlympicsin Vancouver, British Colombia.“NBCOlympics.com on MSN” provides online users with exclusive access to more than 400 hours of live competition and more than 1,000 hours of on-demand video content, including full-event replays, highlights, features, interviews and encore packages, and HD-experience powered by Silverlight and IIS Smooth Streaming that gives users the choice of a high-quality full-screen viewing experience and access to content, including results, statistics, comprehensive bios, rules and expert analysis, from NBC’s Olympic digital media team in Vancouver.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Jan. 20, 2010
MSN announced its support of Bundle, a startup social media company dedicated to helping people make better sense of their spending and saving decisions. Bundle.com features a groundbreaking, free money comparison tool, Everybody’s Money, which shows millions of personal finance trends across the U.S.Bundle has one of the most extensive collections of free spending data on the web, as well as information on saving, budgeting and investing. Users can see how people just like them spend money, and then share their findings via Facebook, Twitter and email.Additional details can be found on the MSN blog.
Nov. 10, 2009
MSN and Bing announced the rolling release of the new Bing Videos experience. Bing Videos combines Bing video search and quality content from MSN Video that delivers consumers a comprehensive, organized, and high quality video experience.Bing Videos brings together rich content of MSN with its Web-wide search capabilities, a new Homepage with a rich browse experience enhanced by MSN that help customers discover some of the Web’s best content and offers a number of categorized pages that deliver a featured gallery (such as TV series) and highlighted videos. Bing Videos takes advantage of Silverlight by embedding the MSN Video Silverlight player.The MSN Video Silverlight player offers a clean, simple design; High Definition Video (when available); flexible, sophisticated programming and continuous play videos. The site is located at
Nov. 4, 2009
MSN announced the preview launch of its new homepage. The new MSN helps people stay in the know with the best search experience from Bing, the latest news and hottest entertainment from popular and trusted sources, and favorite social networks – all in a fresh new look.At the same time, MSN also launches a new local experience, MSN Local Edition, which delivers one of the most comprehensive local experiences on the Web.
Oct. 1, 2009
MSN announced the beta release of “My Health Info,” a new MSN health tool that allows people to manage health and fitness information for everyone in the family. Through personalized pages and a series of 11 customizable widgets, “My Health Info” provides a security-enhanced Web service enabling ordinary people to unlock the power of their personal health and fitness data for free.
Aug. 31, 2009
MSN announced that MSN Soapbox, the user-generated video service within MSN Video, was decommissioned.
May 8, 2009
MSN launched a new version of its local offering, MSN City Guides, which featured a new design, integrated Bing Maps (formerly known as Live Search Maps), video, content sharing and more. It offers a range of features to help people explore, make plans and share information with their friends. Specifically, new integration with popular social networking services such as Windows Live and Facebook makes planning a snap, allowing people to organize events or get-togethers with a few clicks.
April 21, 2009
MSN launched a new,entertainment-enhanced MSN homepage beta, which allowed participants the option of a topic-focused homepageas their default. The page was customized for entertainment lovers, and offered significantly more entertainment news, gossip and videos than MSN has offered before, as well as direct access to movie times and Wonderwall, the newest celebrity destination from MSN.
Feb. 5, 2009
Microsoft Corp. launched Wonderwall, a celebrity destination developed by MSN and production company BermanBraun Interactive, which allows consumers to experience and digest the latest on the lives of celebrities like never before. Consumers get an opinionated, in-the-know and irreverent take on celebrity information within a highly innovative and dynamic design.
Nov. 25, 2008
MSN announced itscollaboration with (RED), an organization created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to create (RED)Wire, a digital music service located exclusively on MSN ( The service launched Dec. 1, 2008, in conjunction with World AIDS Day in an effort to raise money to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.
Sept. 23, 2008
Microsoft launched Delish.com, an online food destination developed by MSN and Hearst Magazines Digital Media. Delish.com features thousands of quick and easy food and cocktail recipes from Hearst Magazines and other sources, as well as fan blogs about popular food television shows, and the latest on food events and festivals worldwide.
July 28, 2008
Microsoft announced its collaboration with NBC Universal to create NBCOlympics.com on MSN, the official online home of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.NBCOlympics.com on MSN provided online users with exclusive access to an extraordinary offering of more than 3,500 hours of live and on-demand video content.