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The Ad Showdown has been popular on MSNBC.com, so Microsoft has extended the concept to the Xbox LIVE by bringing some of best television commercials that were shown during the big game to the service. Results from The Ad Showdown on Xbox LIVE will be tallied, and Microsoft will show the Xbox LIVE community’s favorite commercials later in the week. The winner of the sweepstakes will also be chosen in February.

“After the big football game on Sunday, we expect hundreds of thousands of people to jump on Xbox LIVE to play games, watch videos and interact with friends,” said Shawn McMichael, director of Sales and Marketing for the Entertainment & Devices Advertising Business Group at Microsoft. “We know how important these commercials are to the game-day experience, so if you missed the game on Sunday, you’ll still have a chance to watch some of the ads later on Xbox LIVE and possibly win a new HDTV for next year’s game.”

More than 35 TV commercials shown during the big football game on Sunday are available through the Spotlight Channel on Xbox LIVE beginning Feb. 2, 2009. Members can go to The Ad Showdown on Xbox LIVE and access the streaming video commercials that were shown during the football game. Xbox LIVE members who vote on their favorite videos will be automatically entered into The Ad Showdown sweepstakes for a chance to win a 58-inch 1080p full-HD plasma TV, a home theater system with speakers, an Xbox 360 Elite console and a 12-month Xbox LIVE Gold Membership. Full details, including a free, alternate method of entry, can be found at the official rules Web site http://www.xbox.com/adshowdown.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.