Microsoft has reached an agreement with major US broadcasters to bring TV and movie downloads to its Xbox 360 console. 

The deals with CBS, MTV, Paramount Pictures, Turner and Warner Bros will provide more than 1,000 hours of TV shows and movies to Xbox 360 users in the US by the end of the year. 

The service will launch on the Xbox 360's first anniversary on 22 November. The deal will offer HD content, including episodes of CSI, Jericho, Numb3rs and Star Trek. 

Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, described the move as "groundbreaking".

The initial TV content line-up will include shows such as South Park from Comedy Central, The Real World and Pimp My Ride from MTV, SpongeBob SquarePants from Nickelodeon and CSI, Survivor and remastered Star Trek episodes from CBS.

Film titles include Mission Impossible III, Nacho Libre, Jackass: The Movie, The Matrix, Superman Returns and Batman Forever.