DIRECTV Doubles Up With ESPN2 to Offer Its First Interactive TV Service for the Grand Slam Tennis Event Featuring Wimbledon Mix Channel with Nearly 200 Hours of Additional Live Coverage

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Jun 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DIRECTV Interactive is becoming as prevalent as a 130-mph service
ace among TV viewers of Grand Slam tennis events as it teams with
ESPN2 to debut its Wimbledon Interactive service on June 23.

Following up on its successful French Open Interactive broadcast
last month, DIRECTV is once again partnering with ESPN2 to provide
nearly 200 hours of live interactive coverage of the first five days
of the 2008 Wimbledon Championship on the grass courts of the All
England Club.

"With DIRECTV's coverage of the French Open last month, Wimbledon
next week and the US Open later this summer, we are securing our role
as the preeminent provider of interactive TV services for Grand Slam
events and the destination for tennis fans who want to get the most
out of their viewing experience," said Eric Shanks, executive vice
president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "We are pleased to work with ESPN2
because with matches being played simultaneously on as many as nine
televised courts, DIRECTV Interactive viewers can stay on top of all
the action while tracking their favorite players as they make their
way through the early rounds and watch the top seeds battle
upset-minded opponents."

Len DeLuca, ESPN senior vice president, Programming &
Acquisitions, added, "At the heart of ESPN's newly extended
relationship with Wimbledon is our pledge to reach tennis fans
wherever and however they consume this Grand Slam event. Our expanded
relationship with DIRECTV does just that."

Wimbledon Interactive will offer many of the same popular features
available in other DIRECTV Interactive tennis services, including the
Mix channel that will display six channels on one screen, among them
the live ESPN2 coverage; a "Wimbledon Extra" channel that features
look-ins on key matches, highlights and interviews; and action on four
other courts from ESPN2, all of which can be expanded to full screen
at the touch of the remote button.

Other features include "Matches On Now," that displays, on the
lower third of the screen, scores from each of the matches currently
on the court channels, with the ability to tune directly to the match;
and "Results," an instant look at real-time scores of in-progress and
completed matches, and schedule info for matches ahead - all without
leaving the match the viewer is watching.

Usage data from DIRECTV's French Open Interactive service confirms
that interactive viewers watch longer than non-interactive viewers and
with greater frequency during the course of the programming event.
More than a third of all interactive-capable viewers used the
interactive application and those who did, watched the French Open 44
percent longer than those who didn't. Time spent using the application
each day grew 69 percent from the first day to the last day the
service was available.

Last year, DIRECTV broadcast more than 5,000 hours of live
interactive sports programming, with nearly 2 million homes using one
or more DIRECTV Interactive sports applications. DIRECTV is on track
to deliver more than 6,000 hours of interactive programming in 2008.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV - News), the nation's leading satellite
television service provider, presents the finest television experience
available to more than 17 million customers in the United States and
is leading the HD revolution with 95 national HD channels - more
quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day,
DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital
picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer
satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for eight years running) and
superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR
services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages
available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV,
please visit directv.com.

SOURCE: DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc.
Jade Ekstedt, 310-964-3429

Copyright Business Wire 2008