DIRECTV to Launch New Starz HD Channels

DIRECTV to Launch New Starz HD Channels

DIRECTV Customers Will Have Access to Package of Five HD Movie Networks

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment announced today that its new High Definition (HD) premium movie channels will be launched on DIRECTV. Starz Comedy HD, Starz Edge HD and Starz Kids & Family HD represent the multichannel industry's first and only non-flagship premium HD channels.

Expected to debut in September 2007, the three new HD channels will be East Coast feeds of the Starz Comedy, Starz Edge, and Starz Kids & Family networks. They will complement the existing Starz HD channel, which will be available on DIRECTV in both the East and West Coast feeds. All five Starz HD offerings will be presented in Dolby(R) Digital 5.1 surround sound.

The Starz HD movie channels will be offered at no extra cost to DIRECTV Starz(R) Super Pack subscribers.

Starz Entertainment Executive VP, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Ed Huguez said, "Lack of programming has for years hampered the growth of high definition television. DIRECTV's leadership role and recently announced breakthrough offering -- including the new HD channels from Starz -- is a landmark development that will open the HD era. Movie lovers are the perfect target audience for HD. Starz looks forward to working with DIRECTV to provide these consumers the best movie-viewing experience possible. With Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound transmitted on all five HD channels, this will be the ultimate home theater offering in the marketplace today."

"The Starz HD movie channels are a terrific anchor for our robust HD lineup," said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. "DIRECTV will have this year an unmatched selection of HD channels and with blockbuster HD movie programming offered by the Starz networks, we will have unmatched quality as well."

Disney and Pixar's Cars, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby are some of the exclusive True HD titles to be offered on the Starz HD services.

Starz Entertainment is the exclusive subscription television and broadband provider of first-run films from leading Hollywood studios including Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overture Films, Revolution Studios, Miramax Films, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar, TriStar, Screen Gems, Sony Classics and Warren Miller Films. Select first-run theatrical films from The Weinstein Company, IFC and Yari Film Group are also available for subscription television and broadband exclusively on Starz Entertainment services. A vast collection of classic and favorite titles are provided by a wide array of other Hollywood studios.

As one of the largest content aggregators in Hollywood, Starz Entertainment has access to thousands of theatrical films that it makes available on the Starz services including Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Da Vinci Code, Disney and Pixar's Cars, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby , The Illusionist , Silent Hill, The Wild, and Gridiron Gang.

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 16 million customers in the United States, through exclusive content, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for six years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM) and MLB EXTRA INNINGS(R). DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) (NYSE:-) (NYSE:News) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan(TM), US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.8 million and 28.2 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group (NASDAQ:LCAPA) (NASDAQ:LCAPB) .

   Contacts:    Eric Becker                          Robert Mercer   Starz Entertainment                  DIRECTV, Inc.   (720) 852-4065                       (310) 964-4683   eric.becker@starz.com                rgmercer@directv.com    Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories.  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Starz Entertainment, LLC

CONTACT: Eric Becker of Starz Entertainment, +1-720-852-4065,
eric.becker@starz.com; or Robert Mercer of DIRECTV, Inc., +1-310-964-4683,
rgmercer@directv.com

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Profile: International Entertainment