Cox To Launch ESPN360.com in Northern Virginia on Sept. 30

Cox To Launch ESPN360.com in Northern Virginia on Sept. 30

Company Also Unleashes Faster Internet Speeds Just in Time for Kick Off High-Speed Internet Customers Gain Access to More Than 3,500 Live Events Online, Including Hundreds of College Football Games

HERNDON, Va. and BRISTOL, Conn., Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as college football gets into full swing, Cox and ESPN announced today that Cox High Speed Internet (CHSI) and Cox Business Internet customers in Northern Virginia will have access to ESPN360.com beginning Sept. 30. The site is ESPN's 24/7 broadband sports network, which offers more than 3,500 live, global sports events annually. Residential and business Internet customers will be able to access this site for free.

"Not only can Cox customers now view more than 400 football games, including tons of free high-definition by logging onto ESPN360.com, they can now feed their need for speed thanks to Cox's faster Internet downloads," said Janet Barnard, senior vice president and general manager of Cox Communications Northern Virginia. "Making ESPN360.com available for free to our high-speed Internet customers is just one more way Cox is committed to providing the best value."

Residential consumers will also score big with faster Internet service thanks to speed increases in Cox's Preferred and Premier offerings. The speed increase, which takes effect Sept. 29, allows customers to download even more online content like ESPN360.com faster and at no additional charge. The company has also added a new speed to its Cox Business Internet service to compliment its 50 Megabit per second (Mbps) down / 5 up and 24 down / 4 up offering. The new speed provides commercial customers with another economical Internet option to access and transfer large files, Web-based applications and multimedia tools. Cox download speeds are further enhanced when combined with PowerBoost(TM), a cable-exclusive technology that provides a temporary burst of speed.

                            Residential Internet Service                            ----------------------------       Now Faster! CHSI Preferred                 20 down / 2.5 up          15 down / 2 up (Mbps)                  With PowerBoost(TM)    --------------------------------            ---------------------        Now Faster! CHSI Premier                  30 down / 3.5 up          25 down / 3 up (Mbps)                  With PowerBoost(TM)    --------------------------------            ---------------------         Launched this summer                     55 down / 5.5 up             CHSI Ultimate                       With PowerBoost(TM)          50 down / 5 up (Mbps)    --------------------------------            ---------------------                            Cox Business Internet Service                           -----------------------------       New! 15 down / 3 up (Mbps)                 20 down / 4 up                                                 With PowerBoost(TM)    --------------------------------            ---------------------         Launched this summer                     30 down / 5 up          25 down / 4 up (Mbps)                  With PowerBoost(TM)    --------------------------------            ---------------------         Launched this summer                     55 down / 5.5 up         50 down / 5 up (Mbps)                   With PowerBoost(TM)    --------------------------------            ---------------------   

ESPN360.com features live online sports coverage from a broad array of global events including (but not limited to):

   --  Basketball:  NBA, Euroleague, FIBA, NCAA Men's and Women's basketball,       WNBA;   --  Football:  NCAA College Football, AFL;   --  Global Soccer:  FIFA World Cup events and global qualifiers,       Confederations Cup, Football League (UK), Carling Cup (UK), La Liga       (Spain), Italian Serie A, Portuguese Liga Sagres, MLS, US National       team, international "friendlies" and more;   --  Global Baseball:  MLB, World Baseball Classic, College World Series,       Little League World Series;   --  Tennis:  multi-court coverage of all four "grand slam" events and       select other tennis events;   --  Golf:  extensive coverage of the US Open, The Masters, The Open       Championship and more;   --  Lacrosse:  Major League Lacrosse, NCAA College Lacrosse;    --  Misc. Sports:  X Games and Winter X Games, NCAA Hockey and Softball,       Open-wheel Racing, Professional Racquetball, International Polo and       more.    

Northern Virginia viewers may be interested in several regional highlights from ESPN360.com, including college football games like North Carolina at Virginia Tech on Oct. 29 and Virginia Tech at East Carolina on Nov. 5; the college basketball match up with Penn State at Virginia on Nov. 30; and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) finals on Oct. 11.

Through a video player accessible via ESPN360.com, the service gives consumers control over their broadband sports viewing experience -- providing reliable, high-quality video and the option to pause, rewind and fast-forward live shows. With the ability to deliver up to 15 simultaneous live events, fans are able to toggle between games in a main viewing window, and with a single click, jump to another event. Video can be viewed in widescreen (16:9) and normal (4:3) picture and can be expanded to full screen or reduced to a compact size. Recently completed events are archived and available for on demand replay.

Cox customers can visit www.cox.com/espn360 from any computer with Cox High Speed or Business Internet service to learn more and link to the ESPN360 content.

About Cox

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates Travel Channel. Cox is known for pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For six years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunication; for four years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity; and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

About Disney and ESPN Media Networks

Disney and ESPN Media Networks' diverse portfolio contains the most compelling entertainment, sports and news content available to consumers today, including ABC Family, ABC News Now, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPNEWS HD, ESPNU, ESPNU HD, SOAPnet and Disney XD. Delivering the most popular media brands with their passionate audiences, Disney and ESPN Media Networks brings content distributors exclusive opportunities across multiple platforms including broadband products such as ABC News Now, Disney Online's Disney Connection and ESPN360.com, as well as video on demand services, including Disney Channel on Demand and ESPN on Demand.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Cox Communications

CONTACT: Gwen Sparks of Cox, +1-703-480-4916, gwen.sparks@cox.com; or
Amy Phillips of ESPN, +1-212-456-0226, amy.phillips@espn.com

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

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Profile: International Entertainment