In a surprising business move to push Xbox as an entertainment center, Microsoft has signed a major agreement with Time Warner Cable to offer live TV contents directly through the Xbox 360 console.

As part of the agreement, Time Warner Cable subscribers with an Xbox Live Gold membership will now be able to watch and stream more than 300 live TV channels directly from their Xbox 360. The deal will offer subscribers of Time Warner Cable to watch different programs directly on the Xbox 360 with channels such as AMC, BBC World News, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, HGTV and others.

“TWC TV is a significant addition to Xbox 360, bringing our customers their favorite entertainment in one place—enhanced TV experience, games, movies, music, sports and entertainment apps,” said Blair Westlake, corporate vice president, Media & Entertainment Group at Microsoft. “Our partnership with TWC enhances all that is available on Xbox 360 today, which will we continue expand. We’re thrilled to offer TWC TV to U.S. Xbox Live members and Time Warner Cable subscribers.”

The app will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace for download starting this summer and will be supported by voice control with Kinect. At this point, more than 120 voice-controlled apps are available for the Xbox 360 including Verizon FiOS TV, ESPN, Comcast Xfinity, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Lovefilm Instant and Hulu Plus for on-demand content, as well as the option to stream live TV through broadcasting such as Sky in the UK.

“With Xbox 360 we have a growing entertainment app portfolio of more than 120 voice-controlled apps, and we are happy to expand with the addition of TWC TV. We are equally excited to deliver new entertainment experiences with Xbox One launching later this year, which will allow you to instantly switch from watching live TV to playing a game with the sound of your voice,” said Westlake.

Microsoft hopes to take entertainment offerings to the next level with the Xbox One. The deal is a pretty big tie-in for Microsoft, which is presenting Xbox One as a powerful all-in-one living room entertainment system with cloud, personalization, and further connectivity of community and social support. It will have a number of entertainment-related functions, including an easy switch from gameplay to live TV by using your voice.

Time Warner Cable adds Xbox Live platform with an aim to place Xbox One as a perfect system for managing all consumer TVs demand. It can be worked by connecting the cable box to the rear of the existing Xbox One, which then allows switching channels and other media functions through next-gen Microsoft Kinect voice commands.