Under the distribution agreement, Waltham, Mass.-based Lycos will carry nearly all of Slate's content at a co-branded site. Users also will be able to access Slate content through various links on Lycos.com.
With today's deal, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft continues the steady
expansion of its business empire--even in the face of U.S. District
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson's finding 
of fact less than two weeks ago
that indicated he may find the software giant guilty of antitrust violations.
Lycos has recently been honing its news service, appointing veteran journalist George Shirk to the post of editor in chief of Lycos Network News and expanding his role as editor in chief of Lycos' Wired News.
"With more and more people turning to the Internet as their primary source for news and analysis, it's imperative that top-quality news coverage is available online," Shirk said in a statement. "The Lycos Network takes a collaborative approach to news content, which is the best and only way to provide a complete Internet news experience for Lycos users."
Slate is an online magazine founded and edited by Michael Kinsley that provides readers with perspectives on news, politics, and culture. It is a member of MSN.com, the network of Internet services run by Microsoft.