LMckin
03-23-06, 04:10 PM
DIRECTV's CalcioDirect(TM) is America's First Channel Package Tailored for International Soccer; New International Soccer Package Will Offer Three Channels with the Best Selection of Italian Soccer and News
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Mar 23, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DIRECTV is delivering a programming "hat trick" for Italian soccer fans with the launch of CalcioDirect(TM), America's first channel package tailored specifically for soccer fans.
Now providing the widest selection of Italian soccer and news, CalcioDirect offers GolTV, Fox Soccer Channel and SKY TG24, the premier 24x7 Italian news channel, for $19.99/month. The package is part of the DIRECTV WorldDirect(TM) umbrella of international services and is designed for Italian soccer enthusiasts.
"By bundling these channels into one package, we're providing Italian soccer fans with the best selection of Italian soccer at an exceptional value," said Aaron McNally, vice president, DIRECTV International. "With one out of 20 Americans who are of Italian ancestry, and countless more who are passionate about soccer, there is an enormous base of fans in the United States who now have a single destination for all of their favorite soccer games from Italy's Serie A and the best leagues from around the world."
Between GolTV, which offers home matches of 16 of the 20 Italian league teams - including Inter, AC Milan and Juventus - and Fox Soccer Channel's home matches for the other four Italian teams, subscribers to CalcioDirect have access to the full complement of Italian soccer, as well as more of the best soccer from around the world.
All three channels will continue to be available from DIRECTV in separate packages.
GolTV, the 24-hour all-soccer network is available with the DIRECTV PARA TODOS(R) service and the DIRECTV SPORTS PACK. It delivers more than 1,500 soccer games each year from around the world, offering live games in English and Spanish from some of the best leagues in the world with exclusive rights to games from Italy, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
Fox Soccer Channel, also available as part of the DIRECTV SPORTS PACK, provides coverage of Italy's renowned soccer league, Serie A, featuring home matches of Serie A clubs Lazio, Lecce, Treviso and Cagliari on a live and exclusive basis in the United States. Programming also includes a weekly selection of shows from the AC Milan Channel, a network dedicated exclusively to Serie A powerhouse AC Milan. Programs include "Milan Weekly," featuring exlusive interviews and breaking team news, player profiles and more; "Milan Channel Classics," showcasing classic AC Milan matches from past seasons and English Premier League coverage.
SKY TG24, part of the WorldDirect service, is dedicated entirely to news with live news features every 30 minutes. Concentrating mainly on national and international news and reports, SKY TG24 provides an objective viewpoint on
news and events in Italy and around the world. The channel also offers in-depth features and reports, and debates with guests in studio. During the weekend, the channel dedicates a great deal of time to sports, and in particular, the Italian Football Championship.
Customers who want to subscribe to the CalcioDirect service must first subscribe to the DIRECTV(R) BASIC ($9.99 per month) or DIRECTV(R) PREFERRED CHOICE(TM) ($29.99 per month) international base package, or to any TOTAL CHOICE(R) ($41.99/mo. or above) or DIRECTV PARA TODOS(R) ($29.99/mo. or above) base package.
The DIRECTV WorldDirect(TM) platform has launched 25 channels that deliver a wide variety of new programming in multiple foreign-languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Italian and Russian, to underserved ethnic markets throughout the United States. DIRECTV will continue to expand its international programming platform to reach more ethnic audiences.
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading digital television service with more than 15.1 million customers. DIRECTV, the Cyclone Design logo, DIRECTV PARA TODOS, PREFERRED CHOICE, TOTAL CHOICE, WorldDirect and CalcioDirect are trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSE: DTV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment. DIRECTV is approximately 37 percent owned by News Corporation.
SOURCE: DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer, 310-726-4683
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding The DIRECTV Group, Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=835188&highlight=
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Mar 23, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DIRECTV is delivering a programming "hat trick" for Italian soccer fans with the launch of CalcioDirect(TM), America's first channel package tailored specifically for soccer fans.
Now providing the widest selection of Italian soccer and news, CalcioDirect offers GolTV, Fox Soccer Channel and SKY TG24, the premier 24x7 Italian news channel, for $19.99/month. The package is part of the DIRECTV WorldDirect(TM) umbrella of international services and is designed for Italian soccer enthusiasts.
"By bundling these channels into one package, we're providing Italian soccer fans with the best selection of Italian soccer at an exceptional value," said Aaron McNally, vice president, DIRECTV International. "With one out of 20 Americans who are of Italian ancestry, and countless more who are passionate about soccer, there is an enormous base of fans in the United States who now have a single destination for all of their favorite soccer games from Italy's Serie A and the best leagues from around the world."
Between GolTV, which offers home matches of 16 of the 20 Italian league teams - including Inter, AC Milan and Juventus - and Fox Soccer Channel's home matches for the other four Italian teams, subscribers to CalcioDirect have access to the full complement of Italian soccer, as well as more of the best soccer from around the world.
All three channels will continue to be available from DIRECTV in separate packages.
GolTV, the 24-hour all-soccer network is available with the DIRECTV PARA TODOS(R) service and the DIRECTV SPORTS PACK. It delivers more than 1,500 soccer games each year from around the world, offering live games in English and Spanish from some of the best leagues in the world with exclusive rights to games from Italy, Brazil, Spain, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.
Fox Soccer Channel, also available as part of the DIRECTV SPORTS PACK, provides coverage of Italy's renowned soccer league, Serie A, featuring home matches of Serie A clubs Lazio, Lecce, Treviso and Cagliari on a live and exclusive basis in the United States. Programming also includes a weekly selection of shows from the AC Milan Channel, a network dedicated exclusively to Serie A powerhouse AC Milan. Programs include "Milan Weekly," featuring exlusive interviews and breaking team news, player profiles and more; "Milan Channel Classics," showcasing classic AC Milan matches from past seasons and English Premier League coverage.
SKY TG24, part of the WorldDirect service, is dedicated entirely to news with live news features every 30 minutes. Concentrating mainly on national and international news and reports, SKY TG24 provides an objective viewpoint on
news and events in Italy and around the world. The channel also offers in-depth features and reports, and debates with guests in studio. During the weekend, the channel dedicates a great deal of time to sports, and in particular, the Italian Football Championship.
Customers who want to subscribe to the CalcioDirect service must first subscribe to the DIRECTV(R) BASIC ($9.99 per month) or DIRECTV(R) PREFERRED CHOICE(TM) ($29.99 per month) international base package, or to any TOTAL CHOICE(R) ($41.99/mo. or above) or DIRECTV PARA TODOS(R) ($29.99/mo. or above) base package.
The DIRECTV WorldDirect(TM) platform has launched 25 channels that deliver a wide variety of new programming in multiple foreign-languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Bengali, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Italian and Russian, to underserved ethnic markets throughout the United States. DIRECTV will continue to expand its international programming platform to reach more ethnic audiences.
About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading digital television service with more than 15.1 million customers. DIRECTV, the Cyclone Design logo, DIRECTV PARA TODOS, PREFERRED CHOICE, TOTAL CHOICE, WorldDirect and CalcioDirect are trademarks of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSE: DTV) is a world-leading provider of digital multichannel television entertainment. DIRECTV is approximately 37 percent owned by News Corporation.
SOURCE: DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer, 310-726-4683
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding The DIRECTV Group, Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
http://phoenix.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=835188&highlight=