DIRECTV Dominates the Interactive Television Category with Four Emmy Nominations

“ Leader in Interactive Television Received as Many Nominations as All of Its Competitors Combined ”
1/6/2009 5:11:05 PM

8/09/2005

El Segundo, CA Aug 9, 2005   Revolutionizing the Interactive TV category by being the first provider to deliver a suite of continuous, interactive programming mix channels, DIRECTV is once again being recognized for its outstanding achievement in interactive television with four Emmy nominations, two each from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) - the most Emmy nominations awarded to an interactive service provider. DIRECTV was awarded its first Primetime Emmy Award in 2004 for its interactive services and previously received three Technical Emmy Awards.

In recent announcements made by both ATAS and NATAS, DIRECTV's Sports Mix and overall interactive service were nominated in four categories:

ATAS 2005 Interactive TV Emmys
- DIRECTV Sports Mix - Nominated Emmy for Program Specific Enhanced or Interactive Television
- DIRECTV Interactive Service - Nominated Emmy for Non-Program Specific Enhanced or Interactive Television for a Channel, Network or Service

NATAS 2005 Advanced Media Technology Emmys
- DIRECTV Sports Mix - Nominated Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for the Enhancement of Original Television Content
- DIRECTV Interactive Service - Nominated Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for the Non-Synchronous Enhancement of Original Television Content

"DIRECTV is honored to receive these EMMY nominations and would like to thank both the ATAS and NATAS for acknowledging our advancements in the interactive category," said Eric Shanks, senior vice president, Advanced Services and Content, DIRECTV, Inc. "DIRECTV is taking the leadership position in interactive television and revolutionizing the way people watch their favorite programs by adding a new level of personalization, information and convenience to the television viewing experience."

"DIRECTV has made significant investments over the last year to develop new ways of bringing compelling television technologies to our more than 14.6 million customers nationwide, such as building the West Coast's first fully-integrated interactive television production studios," Shanks added. "We believe these investments will enable DIRECTV to remain a leader in the interactive category and deliver an even more robust suite of interactive services."

For the first time in the U.S. , the DIRECTV SportsMix provides customers with an original, daily hosted, interactive show that delivers sports news, headlines, and scores, plus an interactive, real-time visual guide to six live sports networks on one screen.

The DIRECTV interactive service offers customers four new channels providing interactive programs and interactive advertising, including:

- DIRECTV Active - provides DIRECTV viewers with a variety of interactive services, including daily and extended weather forecasts, daily horoscopes, local lottery results, pay per view and broadcast TV recommendations, and interactive ads.
- DIRECTV Mix Channels - DIRECTV Mix channels offer enhanced features that enable customers to view up to six live channels from different networks, all on one screen. Customers with interactive-enabled DIRECTV receivers can use their remote to listen to and direct tune to each channel. The three DIRECTV Mix channels available are: Sports Mix, News Mix and Kids Mix.

The ATAS 2005 Interactive Emmys will be presented at the Creative Arts Awards Ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on September 11th. The NATAS 2005 Advanced Media Technology Emmy Awards, which will be presented as part of the annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards ceremony will take place at the Bristol-Meyers Squibb Headquarters in Princeton , New Jersey on September 29th. This is the fourth year the two Academies have honored the work being done in Interactive Television, New Media and related programming and technology.


About DIRECTV, Inc.
DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading digital multichannel television service provider with more than 14.6 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. DIRECTV is approximately 34 percent owned by News Corporation.