Family Guy adds to US XBL video service

Microsoft is looking to capitalise on the hype surrounding the Halo 3 launch by signing a deal with 20th Century Fox to publish the first two seasons of Family Guy on the Xbox Live platform.

The downloads will be available from Monday next week, but only in the US, as the video download service hasn't made it out of the region as yet.

According to a report on Reuters it's the first deal that Microsoft has signed with Fox, and it's the first time that Family Guy has been available on any platform for download.

Each episode will be available for 160 Microsoft Points (USD 2), and this deal might represent the start of closer dealings between the two companies, according to Fox executive vice president Jamie McCabe.

"This is our first one. We hope to have other content on there, but right now with the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of the new [fifth] season of Family Guy coming out [on DVD], the timing worked out really well for this one."

Microsoft has existing deals in place with other significant content providers in the US, including Warner Bros, Paramount, Disney, Miramax, MTV and Turner.