ESPN, Sirius Satellite Radio Expand Broadcast Relationship to Include Exclusive Programming

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December 11, 2007 -- SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) and ESPN announced today a multi-year extension to their current broadcast agreement, which will provide SIRIUS listeners with an enhanced ESPN-dedicated channel. SIRIUS Channel 121 will supplement its ESPNEWS programming with a new, exclusive, weekly ESPN The Magazine talk show, and for the first time on national radio, exclusive simulcasts of some of ESPN’s television mainstays, including SportsCenter.

Highlights:
- SportsCenter and other popular ESPN shows will be available for first time on national radio
- New weekly talk show, “ESPN The Magazine on SIRIUS,” debuted today, exclusively on SIRIUS channel 121

SIRIUS will continue to broadcast ESPN Radio on channel 120, as well as ESPN Deportes Radio on channel 181.

ESPN The Magazine on SIRIUS, hosted by Gary Hoenig, general manager and editor-in-chief of ESPN Publishing, and ESPN The Magazine Editor Gary Belsky, debuted today, December 11 (12 - 2 p.m. ET) exclusively on SIRIUS channel 121. The weekly show will feature Hoenig and Belsky and a roundtable of ESPN The Magazine writers and editors examining the news stories of the week, interacting with callers from around the country, and conducting interviews with high-profile guests from the world of sports.

“This new ESPN channel brings more superb content from the world’s leading sports entertainment company to one of the country’s fastest growing audiences,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS’ President, Entertainment and Sports. “In addition, ESPN The Magazine on SIRIUS will be a unique blend of the magazine and satellite radio, delivering compelling insight into all corners of the sports world. Plus, millions of SIRIUS listeners around the country will now have access to ESPN’s outstanding programming, much of which has never before been available on radio.”

SportsCenter (6 p.m., 11 p.m. M-F), ESPN’s flagship news and information program, will be among the network’s television staples made available to radio listeners nationwide on SIRIUS Channel 121. Other ESPN television programming to be offered via SIRIUS includes Around the Horn (5-5:30 p.m. M-F); College GameDay (10 a.m.-noon Saturdays during the football season); Outside the Lines (9 a.m. Sundays); Sports Reporters (9:30 a.m. Sundays) and NASCAR Now (6 p.m. M-F). SIRIUS will also carry the critically-acclaimed Pardon The Interruption (5:30-6 p.m. M-F), featuring the daily sports debates of Washington Post columnists Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. All shows will air on SIRIUS Channel 121.

“As ESPN Radio moves beyond the traditional AM and FM radio distribution of its content, we are pleased to expand our programming – both radio and television -- with SIRIUS,” said Traug Keller, ESPN senior vice president, production, business divisions. “Through its Channel 121, which will feature several of ESPN’s top programs for the first time, and a new weekly show hosted by ESPN The Magazine editors and writers, SIRIUS will help us serve sports fans no matter where they are.”

About ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio is the nation’s largest sports radio network, providing more than 9,000 hours of talk and event content to nearly 750 non-duplicative stations reaching more than 20 million listeners* each week. ESPN Radio’s nearly 350 full-time affiliates, offering round the clock programming, include owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Pittsburgh. Additionally, ESPN Radio is the exclusive national radio network for the NBA, Major League Baseball and the Bowl Championship Series, and also broadcasts 17 regular-season college football games.

Additionally, ESPNRadio.com is the most listened to sports radio destination online, with more than 250,000** monthly listeners, additionally sports fans can access all of ESPN Radio's daily content ondemand through ESPN Radio Insider (a part of ESPN.com's premium content section, ESPN Insider). ESPN Radio content is also available via ESPN's 40 original free podcasts on iTunes and ESPN's PodCenter, which are downloaded more than 1.5 million times per week.

* Knowledge Networks/SRI

** AndoMedia WebMetrics
About SIRIUS

SIRIUS, “The Best Radio on Radio,” delivers more than 130 channels of the best programming in all of radio. SIRIUS is the original and only home of 100% commercial free music channels in satellite radio, offering 69 music channels. SIRIUS also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather and data. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NASCAR and NBA, and broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL and NBA, as well as live NASCAR races. All SIRIUS programming is available for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95.

Source: ESPN Radio


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