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MillimeterHDNet Launches on DIRECTV
Sep 12, 2001 12:00 PM
DALLAS – HDNet, the world’s only all-high definition national television network, debuted Thursday, Sept. 6, on DIRECTV channel 199 with a broadcast of the Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers at 8:05 p.m. (ET), the first of 15 Major League Baseball games to be aired throughout the month. Founded by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Philip Garvin, HDNet will expand in October from a limited schedule to a 16-hour-per-day, seven-day-per-week schedule of sports and entertainment programming, all broadcast in high definition.
Through agreements with Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Hockey League (NHL), the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), and the National Lacrosse League (NLL), HDNet will offer the largest selection of sports programming available in high definition, according to the company. In addition to sports, HDNet will feature a variety of live and taped special events, concerts, documentaries, music videos, and movies.
"Watching a sporting event on HDNet is a unique, compelling experience that closely rivals the excitement of actually being there in person," said Cuban, chairman of HDNet. "The rapidly growing base of current HDTV users is demanding more high-definition programming, and we are committed to providing them the compelling content they seek. Furthermore, for new TV buyers, we want to make their choice of upgrading to high-definition television and high-definition-capable DIRECTV equipment an easy decision."
Said Stephanie Campbell, senior vice president of programming for DIRECTV: "DIRECTV has a long history of bringing customers unique programming they can’t get anywhere else, and HDNet is another example of this philosophy. HDNet enables us to provide a national platform that we feel will generate a substantial interest and demand for high-definition programming."
HDNet’s focus at launch will be primarily on sports broadcasts, events that have proven to be the ideal showcase for the superior viewing experience of HDTV. HDNet will broadcast 15 MLB games in September, as well as a full schedule of games throughout the 2002 season. National Hockey League broadcasts begin in October and will include at least 65 games during the 2001-2002 season. HDNet will produce its MLB and NHL game broadcasts in conjunction with certain Fox Sports Net regional outlets, sharing audio and graphics with FSN’s standard-definition production units.
HDNet will also work with the U.S. Olympic Committee to produce and broadcast events held by the 39 national governing bodies for Olympic sport. HDNet is also broadcasting National Lacrosse League games during the 2001-2002 NLL season, as well as select Dallas Mavericks games available only in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on the digital channels of UPN21 and CBS11.
HDNet programming is currently available on channel 199 to all DIRECTV subscribers at no additional monthly programming cost. To receive HDNet on DIRECTV, consumers may purchase an HDTV set with built-in DIRECTV System Receiver or a DIRECTV-enabled HD set-top receiver and a triple-LNB 18"x24" Multi-Satellite Dish antenna. HDTV sets integrated with the DIRECTV Receiver, as well as DIRECTV-enabled HD receivers, are available from Thomson Consumer Electronics (under the RCA and PROSCAN brands), Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Hughes Network Systems, Philips, and Sony.
"I believe the market for HDTV-enabled TVs and tuners is set to explode over the next five years," said Cuban. "The current state of the HDTV industry is very similar to the early days of the personal computer and the Internet, when the industry debated about technology and standards and growth was confined to the early adopters. With each of these industries, new marketing and sales-driven businesses were key to driving the growth of the markets to the next level.
"HDNet is committed to working closely with DIRECTV, television manufacturers, retailers, and resellers to proactively market and drive demand for HD-enabled televisions as opposed to HD-ready sets, thus making the buying decision an easy one for consumers."
About HDNet HDNet, (www.hd.net), the world’s only all-high-definition national television network, broadcasts a schedule of sports and entertainment programming on DIRECTV channel 199. HDNet was co-founded by Mark Cuban, chairman and president, and Philip Garvin, general manager and chief operating officer, who is also president of Colorado Studios in Denver. Terdema Ussery, president and CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, serves as CEO of HDNet and is responsible for the oversight of content acquisition and developing strategic relations. HDNet has offices and facilities in Dallas and Denver.
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