• by Karl Greenberg , September 14, 2007

Nissan and Yahoo Music have reversed the traditional--TV to Internet--and inked a deal to put Nissan Live Sets, a live music series on TV. The effort makes the Yahoo co-branded series a monthly television show on MTV Networks' MHD (Music High Definition) TV, which launched last year.

The effort kicks off Monday as "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" with a performance by country/rock band Rascal Flatts. <[> Yahoo started taping Live Sets--a kind of informal show with audience Q & A, as a twice-monthly effort last fall, kicking off with a concert by Christina Aguilera and Incubus. The program, of which Nissan is sole sponsor, takes place on a custom-built sound stage on a Fox lot in L.A. Yahoo has been streaming the shows at music.yahoo.com--and at nissanlivesets.com, where on-demand videos and songs as well as photos and blogs from the shows are available to users.

For the TV broadcast, one performance from the Web series will be selected each month to air on MHD as a 30-minute concert. The show will include fan Q&A. Both MHD and Yahoo Music will cross-promote the web and broadcast series on their respective outlets.

MHD features its own content and that from MTV Networks Music Group's MTV, VH1, and CMT family of services.

Past performers of "Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music" have also included John Legend, Beck, Velvet Revolver, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne and Pete Townshend's Lifehouse project.

"This intimate yet vibrant music series is a perfect addition to MHD's original programming lineup," said Tom Calderone, executive vice president/general manager of VH1, who oversees MHD, in a release.

For its part, Nissan will use the sponsorship to promote its forthcoming Rogue compact crossover, according to Melissa Adams, senior manager, Nissan Media, who in late July, spoke to Marketing Daily about Nissan's digital efforts. She was not available by press time.

Per Adams, the effort for Rogue, starting this month, will be Nissan's largest Internet effort yet.