DIRECTV Customers will have Access to a Variety of Interactive Olympic Features
More Than 100 Hours of HD Olympic Programming from Universal HD, Up to 200 Hours of NBC Coverage in HD and More Than 15 Hours of On Demand Programming for DIRECTV DVRs
To celebrate the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, DIRECTV and NBC will deliver an outstanding Olympic viewing experience to its customers nationwide. In addition to offering comprehensive Olympic coverage from NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and the USA Network, DIRECTV will also offer enhanced features, such as the Sports Mix channel that will display multiple NBC Olympic channels simultaneously on one screen, up-to-the-minute medal counts, NBC’s entire Winter Olympics television schedule and more.
In addition, DIRECTV will offer more than 100 hours of high-definition (HD) Olympic coverage from Universal HD and up to 200 hours of NBC network Olympic Coverage in HD, as well as more than 15 hours of on demand NBC Olympics content available to DIRECTV DVR customers.
DIRECTV will dedicate its Sports Mix channel (channel 104) as an interactive hub for NBC’s Olympic coverage for customers with interactive-enabled receivers. During NBC’s Olympic coverage, which begins Feb. 10 and runs through Feb. 26, the Sports Mix channel will feature multiple NBC Olympic channels including NBC, MSNBC, CNBC and the USA Network. Viewers can click through to these channels from the Sports Mix channel to view their favorite Olympic programming. The Sports Mix channel will also feature interactive medal counts, Team USA updates, and NBC’s entire Winter Olympics television schedule.
“DIRECTV’s more than 15 million customers across the country will have access to the ultimate Olympic viewing experience via NBC’s multi-channel HD coverage,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. “With so many Olympic events available for viewing, the enhanced interactive features will enable fans to get the most out of NBC’s comprehensive Olympic coverage and gives our customers greater choice and control over their TV experience.”
“NBC Universal is excited that DIRECTV will be offering NBC’s coverage of the 2006 Olympic Winter Games,” commented David Zaslav, president, NBC Universal Cable. “Our unprecedented network and cable coverage this year will provide viewers with a more extensive and interactive Olympics experience including up-to-the-minute updates and medal count.”
With the Sports Mix channel, customers can use their remote to select and highlight specific Olympic events that are being broadcast simultaneously and watch them full-screen, then return to the six-screen “mix” format at the push of a button. The interactive Olympic features will be available to DIRECTV customers at no additional cost.
DIRECTV will offer NBC’s extensive Olympic coverage in HD that will include more than 100 hours of HD Olympic programming from Universal HD (Channel 74) and up to 200 hours of HD Olympic programming from the NBC network. DIRECTV customers that have HD equipment and live in markets where DIRECTV offers local HD channels or who qualify for distant network signals will have the opportunity to enjoy NBC’s broadcast network coverage in HD of the Olympics. DIRECTV customers can also access Olympic programming from Universal HD if they subscribe to the DIRECTV HD package and have the necessary HD receiving equipment.
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation’s leading digital television service provider with more than 15 million customers. DIRECTV and the Cyclone Design logo are registered trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment services. DIRECTV is approximately 34 percent owned by News Corporation.
About NBC
NBC Universal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates the No. 1 television network, the fastest-growing Spanish-language network, a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.
