Live TV comes to Xbox again – but still not in the U.S.

Just one month after signing a deal to stream live programming via the Xbox 360 in the UK and Ireland, Microsoft has struck a similar deal for customers in France.

Canal+ has signed with the console maker to offer more than 3,000 live and on-demand films, sports and television programming to users of the system. The two companies plan to incorporate more programming and expand the partnership to other Microsoft devices in the future.

It was just last month that Microsoft and Sky TV unveiled a similar partnership, letting Xbox Live subscribers in the UK and Ireland gain access to Sky's Sky Player service without a set top box. One of the appeals of this sort of programming is being able to watch sporting content with online friends and chat in live time during the game.

For now, U.S. Xbox Live subscribers cannot access live programming, though they are able to stream films on-demand from Netflix. However, today’s agreement (as well as the Sky TV deal) suggests that the company is continuing to work on a way to enable more streaming programming for domestic audiences as well.

It’s all part of the company’s plan to make the Xbox 360 the entertainment hub of the living room. Both Microsoft and Sony have made no bones about their desire to displace other set top boxes as space becomes more limited in people’s homes.