Homegrown instant messaging start-up Odigo, Inc. has scored a lucrative deal to develop and power "MTV Messenger", a new IM communications tool for MTV-owned Web sites in Europe.

The Alley-based Odigo, which builds IM and presence-based technology for wireless carriers, telcos, ISPs, and portals, said the deal with Viacom-owned MTVi Europe would create an instant messaging platform in six languages.

The MTV Messenger service would be available for free download in the fall and would be available in English, Dutch, German, French, Italian and Spanish, the company said.

For MTVi Europe, Odigo became an attractive option because the platform enables IM interoperability across a wide range of wire-line and wireless devices.

It said the MTV Messenger would allow users to build and manage buddy lists, send and receive instant messages, seek compatible chat partners and new friends by interest or demographic, and spot fellow MTV IM users wherever and whenever they are online.

The platform would also allow communication with Odigo IM subscribers and networks like ICQ, AOL and Yahoo!

MTVi plans to use the MTV Messenger to push advertising (through sponsorships and banners) to the 16-34 year-old youth demographic. MTVi Europe operates eight localized MTV Web sites and one VH1 site.

Separately, New York-based Activebuddy, Inc. announced Monday it would launch an IM "bot" (interactive agent) to dish information for a fantasy football league run by The Sporting News.

ActiveBuddy said the agent -- TheSportingNews -- is currently only available on America Online's AIM platform.

"The ActiveBuddy technology is simply cool. With TheSportingNews buddy, our Ultimate Fantasy Sports competitors can get the breaking updates and stats they need about players quickly and easily just by asking for it," said Jason Kint, VP and general manager online for The Sporting News.

ActiveBuddy's interactive agents retrieve and deliver information and services on demand over instant messengers.

The company's "bots" include SmarterChild, GooglyMinotaur and LindsayBuddy.