MSNBC.com recently began running a rectangle ad on the site homepage that showcases the individually-branded sites of Countdown, Nightly News, Scoop, Today, NBC Sports and recently-acquired Newsvine.

The ad allows users to click arrow buttons on either side of the container to show the next site screen shot, which appears after a quick transition effect.

This is a creative way to promote sites, but also runs the risk of being tuned out since it’s in the same position as regular ads normally are.

This also marks one of the first times MSNBC has promoted Newsvine. MSNBC has been linking to conversations and topic pages on Newsvine for select stories, but this marks one of the most prominent cross promotions.

With the main site redesign completed, MSNBC.com has continued to create individual branded pages for other NBC properties using the MSNBC.com platform with the launch of a new NBCSports.com page.

The new site, found by entering the domain www.nbcsports.com or by clicking the “Sports” link on any MSNBC.com navigation menu, stays fairly well within the framework of the main MSNBC.com site, and boasts a dynamic top stories area and customizable modules for specific categories. Text links on the top of pages lead to in-season sports coverage from the site’s broadcast counterpart.

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