What To Expect At The Microsoft NewFront [Predictions]

From April 29th-May 3rd, 18 online video distributors will take the stage all over New York for Digital Content Newfronts, where they will attempt to pitch their upcoming content to advertisers and the media. Here at Tubefilter, we’ll be running through some of the presenters and taking our guesses as to what they will be showcasing. Today, Microsoft.

Name: Microsoft

Date Of Newfronts Presentation: Monday, April 29th from 2-5 PM EST

Highlights of Recent Offerings: The Mark Malkoff Challenge, Life: A Gamer’s Guide, Appetite For Life

What They Talked About At Last Year’s Newfronts: Felicia Day showed up at Microsoft’s 2012 Newfronts presentation to help dish out the scoop about MSN‘s upcoming originals slate. Her series, The Guild, was one of the platform’s staples for the majority of its run, but it has since bypassed MSN as a distribution hub and gone straight to YouTube. If Microsoft announces any original web series this year, it will need a new poster child.

Microsoft also announced plenty of premium content options for the Xbox 360, as it revelaed several programming partnerships that helped make the Xbox less of a game console and more of a home entertainment system.

What They Will Talk About This Year: Microsoft is

building up a reputation for partnerships with online video networks. In addition to the My Damn Channel series noted above, the tech giant has also made Revision3 shows available on Xbox 360, and has partnered with Machinima for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. What other partnerships does Microsoft have in the works, especially with regard to the Xbox 360 content library? The NewFronts should be the place to find out.

In addition to Xbox, we should hear about some more about the MSN original series slate. There could be plenty of new offerings on the horizon, probably in the in ‘cool science-y nerdy reality’ genre, as is this current series, as well as this one.

According to the IAB’s Newfronts homepage, Microsoft will be also be “likely unable to resist cheerleading Windows 8 potential.” So there’s that, too.

A Special Guest Who Could Show Up: I still haven’t given up hope on a Microsoft exec taking the stage in a Master Chief costume. Perhaps Nancy Tellum? It would be a great way for the former President of CBS Television Studios and current President of Entertainment and Digital Media at Microsoft to take the stage before making a big announcement.