Looking to cash in on the escalating HD marketing movement, EchoStar Communications Corp. and its DISH Network satellite TV service have announced the availability of programming on seven regional sports networks in HD.
The announcement comes days after AT&T Inc. launched a free HD promotion.
With HD sets flying off the shelves and the intersection of several college and sports seasons, telcos, satellite service providers and cablecos have all been touting current or planned HD capabilities, with DIRECTV kicking it off at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.
DIRECTV has taken its marketing effort to the airwaves with ads featuring Charlie Sheen of “Major League” movie fame, asking what a bruise will look like in HD as he prepares to bean an opposing batter.
The HD regional networks are Fox Sports Net affiliates and are available to customers who subscribe to DISH Network's America's Top 100 Plus programming with DishHD
"Sports fans have been driving the HD movement for quite some time now so naturally we're excited to offer regional coverage of games and sporting events in this amazing and graphic picture quality," said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of programming for DISH Network, in prepared comments. "Whether it's baseball, basketball, football, college or professional, there's no better way to watch all the action than in HD.”
The additions include FSN Florida (DISH Network Ch. 373), FSN Midwest (Ch. 368), FSN West (Ch. 367), FSN Prime Ticket (Ch. 361), FSN Rocky Mountain (Ch. 364), FSN South (Ch. 370) and FSN Southwest (Ch. 366).
DISH Network will continue to explore carriage of additional HD regional sports networks throughout the year and says it plans to begin offering Sun Sports and SportSouth this spring as well as Altitude this fall.
DISH Network offers customers HD sports programming including NFL Network HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, Rush HD, WorldSport HD and local HD networks in 29 markets.
DISH Network www.dishnetwork.com
EchoStar Communications Corp. www.echostar.com
