In a landmark deal inked between one of the biggest tech firms and the much-awaited reality cooking competition, "MasterChef Asia" has partnered with Microsoft to produce exclusive digital content including audition videos and contestant profiles.
Microsoft and A+E Networks Asia, the network behind "MasterChef Asia," partnered to launch MSN as platform for the official website of the competition, a news release on the Microsoft website said.
"As part of the deal, MSN will serve as 'MasterChef Asia's' website in eight Asian markets including Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand," the news release said.
Visitors and fans of "MasterChef Asia" will be able to watch complete episodes of the competition which will be posted one week after the telecast, the report added.
Not only these, they will also see the complete recipes for viewers to be able to create the exact same dish the contestants made during the competition. Even prior to the airing, fans can already see audition reels and behind-the-scenes interviews with the contestants.
"MasterChef Asia" will see 15 home cooks aspiring to become the first winner from the region. They all come from various Asian countries and practice different professions. Some of them are lawyers, bankers and full-time moms.
"We are extremely happy to have MSN as 'MasterChef Asia's' official website," said Ken Chang, the regional director of Microsoft. "The reception for 'MasterChef' has been phenomenal across the globe. MSN users love food and quality content, so it's a great match."
Chang added that the partnership between Microsoft and "MasterChef Asia" is a huge step for MSN's reach in Asia and they hope to keep on providing richer content and better experiences for viewers.
"MasterChef Asia is our most significant local production to date and is a sign of our commitment to offering quality content to our viewers and creative solutions to our advertisers," said Charles Less of A+E Networks in the report.
"MasterChef Asia" premieres September 3 on Lifetime Channel.
