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

NEW YORK, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991118/NYTH125 )

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 on demand 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.

SIRIUS Internet Radio (SIR) is a CD-quality, Internet-only version of the SIRIUS radio service, without the use of a radio, for the monthly subscription fee of $12.95. SIR delivers more than 80 channels of talk, entertainment, sports, and 100% commercial free music.

SIRIUS Backseat TV(TM) is the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring three channels of children's TV programming, including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network, for the subscription fee of $6.99 plus applicable audio subscription fee.

SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are available in more than 20,000 retail locations, including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com.

SIRIUS radios are offered in vehicles from Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep(R), Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercury, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Rolls Royce, Scion, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Hertz also offers SIRIUS in its rental cars at major locations around the country.

Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to purchase a SIRIUS radio and subscription.

Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the significant factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed are: our pending merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings, Inc. ('XM'), including related uncertainties and risks and the impact on our business if the merger is not completed; any events which affect the useful life of our satellites; our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming providers; and our competitive position versus other audio entertainment providers.

    P-SIRI

    Media Contacts:
    Dan Quinn, ESPN, 860.766.2234, dan.quinn@espn.com
    Andrew FitzPatrick, SIRIUS, 212.901.6693, afitzpatrick@siriusradio.com

SOURCE SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Source: PR Newswire (December 11, 2007 - 4:58 PM EST)

News by QuoteMedia
www.quotemedia.com