DirecTV set to offer 100 HD channels
Story Highlights
DIRECTV is hailing 2007 as the “Year of HD” with the planned launch and carriage of 100 national high-definition (HD) channels. With this substantial HD muscle, DIRECTV will offer three-times more HD programming than any other multi-channel distributor, with the majority of these channels launching in Q3.
DIRECTV will offer hundreds of games and other HD programming available from Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) around the country, including YES Network, Comcast Sports Net, New England Sports Network and FOX Sports.
To satisfy the insatiable appetite for a greater number of movies in HD, DIRECTV will offer an expanded line-up of HD programming available from all premium movie channels.
“This is DIRECTV’s break-out year for HD,” said Chase Carey, president and CEO, DIRECTV, Inc. “The launch of our two new satellites will complete the largest capacity expansion in DIRECTV history, and no other video service will be able to match the sheer volume and quality of our HD programming. With HD adoption now reaching critical mass in the U.S., and 40 million homes projected to have HD-capable TVs this year, DIRECTV will be uniquely positioned as the best choice for HD programming.”
DIRECTV also announced today that it currently has signed agreements,
or agreements in principle, with more than 70 major networks including:
A&E
National Geographic
Bravo
NFL Network
Cartoon Network
SciFi Channel
CNN
Speed
Food Network
TBS
FX
The History Channel
HGTV
The Weather Channel
MTV
USA Network
With the launch of DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11 satellites in 2007, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver more than 1,500 local HD and digital channels and 150 national HD channels, in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.
DIRECTV currently offers standard-definition local channels in 142 markets, covering nearly 94 percent of television households in the country, as well as local HD broadcast channels in 49 cities, representing more than 65 percent of U.S. TV households.
