Business Services Industry

DIRECTV Leverages Adobe Technology to Deliver Live NFL Action on the Web

Business Wire, Sept 8, 2008

DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET[TM] SUPERCAST[TM] Online Television Experience Powered by Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR Technologies

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & SAN JOSE, Calif. -- DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) and Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that DIRECTV is powering its next-generation NFL SUNDAY TICKET[TM] SUPERCAST[TM] service for SuperFan[TM] customers on the Web with Adobe Flash[R] technology and Adobe[R] AIR[TM] software. The service is available to SUPERCAST subscribers across a wide variety of browsers, desktops, and operating systems.

DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan[TM] customers can stream live NFL games, DIRECTV's Red Zone Channel and up-to-the-minute scores and statistics in the browser using the free Adobe Flash Player. More than 80 percent of online videos in the U.S. are viewed using Adobe Flash technology, according to independent research firm comScore, making it the number one way to view video on the Web. DIRECTV is also providing SUPERCAST as a downloadable rich Internet application (RIA) built on Adobe AIR. Adobe AIR offers a new way to engage customers on the desktop with a downloadable, branded RIA that can be deployed across major operating systems. The SUPERCAST application on AIR provides a wide variety of real-time NFL SUNDAY TICKET content right on the desktop as games stream live in high-quality H.264 video, including Red Zone channel's live-action of critical plays, statistics and moments from game broadcasts, as well as near real-time highlights from all the games. Additionally, only in the SUPERCAST application on Adobe AIR can fans receive desktop notification alerts when requested highlights become available. SUPERCAST is available at www.directv.com/supercast.> "For the DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET SUPERCAST customer, there is no out-of-bounds. Fans can watch nearly every game, every Sunday, along with the best plays, scores and stats, all in real-time on their Mac or PC, no matter where they are," said Steven Roberts, senior vice president, New Media and Business Development, DIRECTV, Inc. "Adobe Flash and AIR technologies enable us to deliver the viewing experience our customers want and expect from DIRECTV regardless of what operating system they have. This is an unprecedented new type of entertainment experience for the browser and a brand new desktop application on AIR that is a great complement to viewing games on television."

Adobe Technologies Provide End-to-End Internet Video Solution

Adobe technology provides DIRECTV with a video solution for the browser and desktop that delivers a high-quality, instant-on, and seamless Web video experience to DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan customers. Content is streamed live via Adobe Flash Media Server software to the browser using Adobe Flash Player technology, which is installed on more than 98 percent of Internet-connected computers, and to the desktop via Adobe AIR. Top companies have deployed hundreds of AIR applications, and there have been more than 25 million installations of AIR applications in the first six months since its release (see separate press release). DIRECTV also uses Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server software for digital rights management (DRM) to protect the NFL premium on-demand content downloaded to the desktop. Adobe Flash Media Server is helping enable DIRECTV to stream content more securely and cater to large volumes of fans with rapid, reliable delivery of exciting content. Adobe Flash Media Rights Management Server is a robust on-demand content protection solution that is non-intrusive to users, yet can allow DIRECTV to safeguard media integrity, authenticity and access, whether SuperFan subscribers are online or offline, even after the content has been viewed.

"With the rise of rich Internet applications, broadcast-quality streaming video and powerful content protection, there are entirely new ways to distribute and monetize digital content, and businesses have more opportunities than ever before to deliver dynamic, interactive content to customers' computers," said Jim Guerard, vice president and general manager of Dynamic Media at Adobe. "DIRECTV is a key Internet TV innovator harnessing the industry's top tools to bring immersive experiences to fans' desktops."

About DIRECTV NFL SUNDAY TICKET

Only on DIRECTV, NFL SUNDAY TICKET delivers up to 14 NFL games every Sunday during the regular season. NFL SUNDAY TICKET customers can add the SuperFan package to create the ultimate NFL viewing experience, including more than 180 NFL games available in HD, the Red Zone Channel, Game Mix, Short Cuts, SUPERCAST and NFL Mobile.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV), the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17.1 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with more than 130 HD channels - more quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed all national cable companies for eight years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit www.directv.com.