SHOWTIME Launches Unprecedented Campaign to Promote January 18 Premiere of United States of Tara

SHOWTIME Launches Unprecedented Campaign to Promote January 18 Premiere of United States of Tara

Premiere Episode Available to over 100 Multi-platforms

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In one of the largest content distribution campaigns ever done to launch a new original series, Showtime Networks Inc. announced today that the premiere episode of the highly anticipated new original series, United States of Tara, is now available on more than a hundred multi-platforms, which translates into a reach of 170 million users - as part of the network's launch campaign to promote the series premiere on SHOWTIME this Sunday, January 18th starting at 9pm ET/PT.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060131/SHOWTIMELOGO )

As an added bonus, Showtime Networks is making available the season premiere episodes of The L Word (R) as it starts its final season and Secret Diary of A Call Girl to all the participating platforms day and date with their January 18 premiere on SHOWTIME.

All three programs will be available online on the major entertainment, social networking and blogging destinations, including cable, telco and satellite affiliate broadband portals, on mobile phones, and on Free On Demand platforms. Example of these partners include: the largest entertainment portals such as TV.com, Yahoo, YouTube, MSN, Fancast, Veoh, EW.com, Blockbuster.com, CinemaNow, TVGuide.com and Netflix as well as additional sites via the CBS Audience Network; social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo; and top entertainment blogs such as BestWeekEver.com, Gawker, Pink is The New Blog and PopBytes. The episodes will also be available on mobile phones through MobiTV, Joost's iPhone App, and on CBS Mobile on Verizon's V-Cast Mobile TV and AT&T Mobile TV via MediaFLO; and via podcast from iTunes and Zune. In addition, the first episode of United States of Tara will be available online in HD on SHO.com and TV.com.

There are 24 different cable, telco and satellite providers participating in the campaign, beginning with the first episode of United States of Tara on broadband and Free On Demand 10 days before its January 18 SHOWTIME premiere. Among them: AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Mediacom, NCTC affiliates, RCN, Time Warner, Verizon and DirecTV. DirecTV will also air the episode on its linear channel The 101. In addition, the episode can be seen in HD on Free On Demand as well as on The 101.

This campaign follows Showtime Networks' very successful digital sampling strategy. It has proven to be a very effective tool not only by increasing consumers' exposure to premium television programs, but also helping drive subscription to the network. This is the most ambitious multi-platform push yet to reach both SHOWTIME subscribers and non-subscribers.

ABOUT SHOWTIME NETWORKS

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(R) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV(R).

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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060131/SHOWTIMELOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Showtime Networks Inc.

CONTACT: Stuart Zakim of Showtime Networks Inc., +1-212-708-1590,
stuart.zakim@showtime.net

Web Site: http://www.sho.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment