DIRECT Satellite

ABC will bring live coverage of Game #2 of the WNBA Western Conference Finals between the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury from Phoenix on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 3 p.m. ET.

The Storm, the top seed in the Western Division, swept the Los Angeles Sparks in two games of the semifinals. The Mercury, the second seed in the Western Division, also swept their series in two games, over the San Antonio Silver Stars.  Phoenix is in search of its third title, while Seattle is seeking its second championship.

Cox Communications has announced that it will offer NFL RedZone and more than 500 football games in high-definition. Cox has added NFL Redzone channel as it has renewed its carriage agreement with NFL Network.

NFL RedZone, produced by NFL Network, whips around every NFL game on Sunday afternoons delivering touchdowns and the most exciting moments as they happen.  When a team goes inside the 20-yard line, fans see the crucial plays live.

NFL RedZone keeps fans up-to-date in real time switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights, fantasy statistics and a chance to see every important play. Cox Advanced TV customers who subscribe to the Sports and Information Pak will have to the option of adding NFL RedZone to their lineup.

Cox will offer more football games in 2010 season on channels like CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC and cable networks like ESPN, ESPN 2 and NFL Network. NFL Network offers every preseason game and eight Thursday Night Football games. Cox also carries exciting local high school football action on Channel 3 in Orange County and Palos Verdes or Channel 8 in Santa Barbara.

Duffy Leone, senior vice president and general manager for Cox in California said “Cox offers a great value for football fans this season with the option of adding NFL RedZone to their existing Advanced TV Pak. Plus; customers can see more than 500 games in crystal clear high-definition without paying additional HD programming fees.”

Cox offers additional benefits like local channels in every package at no additional cost and FREE standard cable service including popular sports networks on additional TVs with no need for equipment. Plus Advanced TV customers who subscribe to the Sports and Info Pak have access to NFL Network On Demand – including NFL Replay – with extended highlights from every single NFL game played that week.

Leone also added “With HD programming at no additional charge, free additional outlets and tons of free On DEMAND programming – including NFL Network On Demand, Cox continues to be a great value for entertainment and communications in the Orange County, Palos Verdes and Santa Barbara communities.”

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Verizon FiOS and Sportskool partners on a campaign to help parents and coaches deal with the challenges of today’s youth athletics. As families prepare for the start of the school year, FiOS TV subscribers now have access to Sportskool’s “Coaches & Parents: It’s More Than A Game” video-on-demand programming, including a Watch to Win sweepstakes with multiple prizes.

The “Coaches & Parents: It’s More Than A Game” video-on-demand programming hosted by actor, parent and volunteer coach Sean Astin, who starred in the hit movies “Rudy” and “Lord of the Rings.”

The series, which features 13 original programs that target America’s 44 million youth sports participants and their families, is particularly valuable at a time when poor sportsmanship and childhood obesity dominate the headlines. Every program in the series delivers advice and tips from pro athletes like Tony Gonzalez and Willie McGinest of the NFL; legendary coaches including NBA Hall of Famer Dave Cowens and women’s ice hockey coach Lauren McCauliffe; and national experts Tina Syer from the Positive Coaching Alliance, Sport in Society’s Dan Lebowitz and John Engh from the National Alliance for Youth Sports.

FiOS TV customers can watch the free programming any time, and can easily enter the sweepstakes by going to the “SportskoolWatch2Win” category found in the “What’s Hot” VOD folder. The sweepstakes is available only on Verizon FiOS TV, and subscribers are eligible for unlimited entries to win $2,000 for their favorite local youth sports organization or school athletic program. The contest runs through Sept. 27, and eight grand-prize winners will be announced in the fall.

Astin said “”I’m proud to be associated with the broadcasts. The experience has made me a better coach and a better parent for my three young athletes, my daughters.”

Sportskool President Andrew Walworth said “With 70 percent of children dropping out of youth sports by age 13, coaches and parents will find this programming, our extensive website tools and social media especially valuable. Parents face so many challenges both on and off the field, from monitoring sideline behavior to teaching sportsmanship to dealing with officials. With topics including essentials for a successful parent-coach relationship, respecting refs and officials, positive practice strategies, game day motivation and coping with mistakes, this series presents the best current thinking on how to handle these and other issues.”

Shawn Strickland, vice president of consumer strategy for Verizon, said, “Sportskool presents our FiOS TV customers with some of the most intriguing video-on-demand sports programming available for families. Joining forces with Sportskool presents a great opportunity for Verizon to help support our subscribers’ local youth sports organizations and school athletic programs and hopefully engage more families in the rewarding and fun world of sports and fitness.”

Jen Franklin, Senior Director of Digital Media for CSNBayArea.com and CSNCalifornia.com announced that Veteran sports journalist Ray Ratto has joined the network as a CSNBayArea.com Senior Insider.

Ray Ratto as a multiplatform reporter will be a columnist for CSNBayArea.com and CSNCalifornia.com contributing to the network’s signature programs SportsNet Central, Chronicle Live, Pregame Live, Postgame Live and other studio shows and will serve as a network correspondent at various local and national sporting events.

Ratto has been a fixture in Northern California sports pages since 1973, most recently with the San Francisco Chronicle (1986-1990, 2000-2010.) In addition, he has worked at the San Francisco Examiner (1973-1981, 1991-2000.) Peninsula Times Tribune in Palo Alto, California (1981-1986,) and The National (1990-1991.)

Ratto has also written national columns for CBS Sportsline and ESPN.com and is a frequent guest on local and national radio and television sports programs. He is an alumnus of St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, California and is a graduate of San Francisco State University. Ratto, 56, lives in Alameda with his wife, Beth, and their children Meredith and Christian.

Franklin added “Ray is one of the most accomplished sports columnists in the nation, and we are thrilled and honored to add his remarkable talents and his unique insights to Northern California’s most comprehensive sports news desk. We are committed to being the leading source for local sports news online and on television. The CSNBayArea.com Insiders and our growing roster of anchors, reporters and analysts will continue to deliver the most interactive and comprehensive local sports coverage in the region.”

Comcast Sports Group Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer Eric Grilly said “We are investing to build the leading local sports source in each market we serve, regardless of platform. Our strategy is to combine our growing news-gathering capabilities with peerless video and technology assets to give our audience the most informative, interactive and entertaining local sports experience. Adding Ray and other journalists of his caliber to our team is an important part of our formula for success.”

Ratto said “This is a fabulous opportunity, one I am very grateful to have been given despite the mountains of evidence of my unworthiness. To work with so many bright and energetic people on the ground floor of such an ambitious enterprise will surely be one of the highlights of what passes for my career.”

SportsMEDIA Technology Corporation has announced that its ISO Track technology is being used to support VERSUS’ live coverage of the 2010 Tour de France.

VERSUS, the exclusive television home of the Tour de France in the U.S. is using ISO Track to enable the viewing audience to identify and follow their favorite cyclist from among the 198 tightly packed athletes racing on the 22 teams in real-time.

ISO Track also helps the audience better understand team racing strategies and formations from a unique, aerial perspective.

Race images are captured using mobile cameras on motorcycles and helicopters. Unlike other tracking systems, ISO Track does not require any electronics on the cyclists or in the moving cameras.

VERSUS also is using ISO Track to create a unique, high exposure marketing opportunity for Radio Shack, with the live video feed and related graphics, to tightly integrate branding during the coverage.

SportsMEDIA’s ISO Track Helps Broadcasters Differentiate Their Telecasts

Continually seeking to improve the quality of their programming, broadcast companies are adopting ISO Track to differentiate their telecasts and offer something innovative to sports enthusiasts. VERSUS was the first to debut SportsMEDIA’s ISO Track at its 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series race in April.

“As an early adopter of this next-generation technology, VERSUS distinguishes itself as a progressive broadcaster always looking for opportunities to provide the most compelling and captivating sports presentation for the viewing audience,” said Don Tupper, vice president of business development at SportsMEDIA. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with VERSUS to leverage ISO Track for a variety of sports events to benefit the fans.”

SportsMEDIA’s ISO Track system will be used for all 20 stages of the race which spans 3,642 kilometers. SportsMEDIA has supported broadcasts of the Tour de France since 2007.

Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc. has appointed David Nevins as President of Entertainment at Showtime Networks.

Nevins will succeed Robert Greenblatt and report to Blank. He has served as President of Imagine Television since 2002.

Nevins as President of Entertainment at Showtime Networks will be responsible for developing, acquiring and supervising all aspects of programming for all of the Showtime Networks channels. He will be based in Los Angeles and begin his new position later this summer.

At Imagine, Nevins oversaw development and production and served as executive producer for all of the company’s television productions, including the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning 24 and the critically acclaimed Friday Night Lights.

Blank said “I’m thrilled to welcome a creative executive of the caliber of David Nevins to our company. David’s career has been punctuated by genre-defining programming at every turn and has the perfect creative sensibility for Showtime Networks’ next exciting chapter.”

Nevins said “Showtime has shown a remarkably consistent ability to develop unique, signature shows with that rare combination of creative integrity and mass appeal- and frankly they do the kind of shows I like to watch. Matt and Bob have done this by creating a nurturing environment where the best creative talent can thrive. It’s exactly the same philosophy that we had at Imagine under Brian (Grazer) and Ron’s (Howard) leadership. Showtime is a place where quality wins and I’m excited to build on its legacy.”

AT&T has announced that it will deliver the 2010 FIFA World Cup coverage live and on demand across the television, online and mobile devices.

AT&T will offer ESPN coverage of 2010 FIFA World Cup games on AT&T U-verse TV, at AT&T U-verse Online and on AT&T mobile phones.

AT&T’s multi-screen delivery of ESPN coverage lets you watch all of the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches and more on the screen of subscribers choice, including:
Mobile

• Live coverage of all 64 matches on AT&T Mobile TV and MobiTV via the ESPN Mobile TV channel and a second channel that will be added to accommodate the airing of overlapping matches. AT&T is the only wireless carrier to offer all 64 matches from ESPN. To subscribe to AT&T Mobile TV or MobiTV, customers can text ATT to 3421. New subscribers to both services receive the first seven days free
• Replays of select matches will be available through AT&T Mobile TV and MobiTV
• Full game analysis, player and team profiles and game highlights via AT&T Mobile Video
• Additionally, with AT&T’s National Goal of the Week program, fans can text GOAL to 22442 to view the best goals of the week and vote for their favorites

AT&T U-verse TV

• An innovative 2010 FIFA World Cup app with ESPN which includes a Multiview that lets you watch up to four ESPN channels at one time and also brings athlete bios, groupings and the latest team standings straight from South Africa to your U-verse TV screen. The Multiview includes ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes channels, and additional channels with the ESPN game coverage delivered in Arabic, German, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese — allowing fans to choose Multiview World Cup coverage from six different languages. You can choose which of the channels appears as the main picture with audio. The app is available to every U-verse TV customer at no extra charge on channel 618 and 1618
• On demand content including replays of each match, 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw show, ESPN Press Pass news segments, highlights of all the ESPN matches, video features of athletes and teams competing in South Africa, and historic games from previous World Cup matches
• Complete live coverage available on ESPN (619 and 1619), ESPN2 (620 and 1620), ESPN Deportes (621 and 1621) and your local ABC affiliate

Online

• Complete live coverage available to AT&T High Speed Internet customers that log-in at ESPN3.com
• Access to a daily video featuring previews and analysis of various teams and athletes competing at the 2010 FIFA World Cup at att.net/wc, prior to the tournament. Once the tournament begins, you can access daily videos featuring match previews, match recaps, including games and players to watch

Dan York, president of content, AT&T, said “The 2010 FIFA World Cup from South Africa is one of the most anticipated sporting events in history, and AT&T customers will have more ways to watch all the action on the screens they use most. AT&T customers will have 64 live ESPN games available live on all three screens: the TV, PC and mobile device. We’ll have up to two channels of live matches available on mobile, U-verse TV customers will be able to interact with and follow their favorite teams with our innovative 2010 FIFA World Cup app, and live coverage of all matches and exclusive bonus content is available for AT&T High Speed Internet customers.”

The Mobile Devices and Home business of Motorola has demonstrated its 3D TV-enabled set-tops at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, NV.

The 3D TV-enabled set-tops represent a breakthrough in 3D video processing, providing consumers with an exceptional and seamless 3D TV experience in their home.

This set-top enables 3D content to be processed in the set-top before delivery to the 3D-capable television, consumers will no longer be confused by having to use remote controls and access on-screen menus to configure the set-top and television set every time a channel change involves switching between 2D and 3D video. Furthermore, all of this is done while maintaining the visual integrity of emergency broadcast messages, closed captioning or on screen displays while 3D video is playing.

Motorola addresses these deployment challenges and maintains its leadership position in 3D TV by integrating 3D signal processing software into the set-top. Specifically, the new 3D TV-enabled set-tops provide the following functionality:

• 3D format detection: The 3D TV processing software automatically detects the presence of 3D content and identifies thetype of 3D format used to ensure proper delivery and display on the 3D TV. As a result, the consumer will be able to seamlessly switch between 2D and 3D channels. Additionally, the set-tops support 3D TV over both MPEG-4 and MPEG-2 and are capable of 1080p24/30 output.
• Content reformatting: Upon detection of 3D content, the set-top automatically reformats all on-screen text and graphics to match the incoming 3D format so that they can be correctly displayed by the 3D TV set. The 3D processing software supports all on-screen displays such as closed captioning, emergency alerts, application graphics and text overlays, as well as existing EPGs and applications.

John Burke, senior vice president, Motorola Mobile Devices and Home, said “Motorola has been developing 3D technology for more than 10 years, leading the industry with innovative solutions that support the deployment of 3D TV to the home. The development of this 3D software enhancement gives our service provider customers a straightforward solution for deploying high-quality 3D TV services today using their existing video delivery infrastructure. By focusing on the customer’s viewing experience Motorola has taken 3D TV to the next level and helped our industry to bring the experience of 3D from the theater into the living-room”

Burke also stated “Motorola’s portfolio supports the end-to-end delivery of frame-compatible 3D signals today, making it easier for service providers to deploy 3D services. The fact that service providers are starting to embrace 3D TV will only increase consumer interest and further drive demand for 3D programming and services. Motorola is committed to continued innovation for 3D TV to help our customers be successful deploying this exciting new service.”

Charter Communications has entered an agreement with NBC Universal to offer multiplatform content of NBC Universal’s 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.

Charter will present the NBC’s Opening Ceremony of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on Friday, Feb. 12.

Charter subscribers will be presented with Vancouver Winter Olympic Games with extensive coverage on NBC Universal including:

• CNBC
• MSNBC
• NBC
• NBCOlympics.com
• Universal HD
• USA Network

Charter will deliver more than 835 hours of unprecedented Winter Olympic programming, representing the most total hours ever for a Winter Olympics, and the most live hours ever for a Winter Games.

Charter will showcase advanced technology as well as cable’s broad digital offerings and deep and rich content across multiple digital platforms, including HD, VOD and high-speed Internet. The world’s premier winter event will be the first Winter Olympics available entirely in high definition.

Charter will present entire 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on HD. NBC Universal is making gravity-defying highlights and full event rewinds available On Demand.

Charter subscribers can access more than 20 5-7 minute clips available in SD and HD. NBCU will offer more than 100 highlight clips, approximately 10 per day, in addition to up to five full-length daily event replays. Additionally, NBCU will offer more than 30% of In-Games VOD in HD.

Major League Baseball (MLB) announced Spring Training schedule for 2010 season. MLB Spring Training will start on Tuesday, March 2nd in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Grapefruit and Cactus League Spring Training play will conclude by Saturday, April 3rd.

The final exhibition game will be played on Sunday, April 4th, when the Giants welcome the Seattle Mariners to AT&T Park in San Francisco. Later that night, Major League Baseball’s 2010 regular season will begin as the Boston Red Sox host the Yankees at Fenway Park at 8:00 p.m. (ET) before a national audience on ESPN2.

2010 Spring Training broadcast schedule on ESPN is as follows: