DISH Network and Univision Communications/Televisa Joint Venture TuTv to Add Three New Spanish-Language Channels to DISH Latino Programming Packages
DISH Network and Univision Communications/Televisa Joint Venture TuTv to Add Three New Spanish-Language Channels to DISH Latino Programming Packages
Agreement Marks U.S. Debut of De Película, De Película Clásico and Telehit Channels, Creates Best Spanish-Language Basic Subscription Package
LITTLETON, Colo. and LOS ANGELES – May 8, 2003 – EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network™, a leading provider of satellite television entertainment services, and TuTv, a Univision Communications Inc. (NYSE:UVN) and Grupo Televisa, S.A. (NYSE: TV; BMV: TLEVISA CPO) joint venture, announce an agreement that will add three TuTv channels to Dish Network's Spanish-language programming packages. Movie channels, De Película and De Película Clásico, and music and lifestyle channel, Telehit, will make their U.S. debuts through inclusion in all three DISH Latino packages on May 29 at no additional charge for new and existing DISH Network customers.
De Película is the leading Spanish-language movie channel in Latin America and Mexico, offering 24-hours-a-day, commercial- free drama, romance, comedy, action and family movies. De Película Clásico is a 24-hours-a-day classic movie channel, incorporating movies from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s which represents the "Golden Era" of Mexican film making. Telehit is a lifestyle and music channel in Latin America and Europe serving young adults. This 24-hours-a-day channel features the most popular pop, rock and alternative music videos in Spanish and English, as well as concerts, celebrity interviews and music news.
DISH Network offers the largest basic subscription package exclusively delivering Spanish-programming channels and at the lowest price in the nation. With these three channels, as well as the addition of TeleFutura and Univision West (announced today in a separate news release), DISH Network now delivers 29 Spanish-language channels as part of its three programming packages, DISH Latino, DISH Latino Dos and DISH Latino Max. The DISH Latino basic subscription package is available for less than $22 per month.
DISH Network and TuTv
"DISH Network offers consumers more Spanish-language channels in a basic TV package than anyone else and at the lowest price," said Michael Schwimmer, DISH Network's senior vice president of Programming. "We're proud of our new relationship with TuTv and how it bolsters our DISH Latino offering."
"This is a terrific development for the TuTv Networks and Spanish-language television viewers throughout the country," said Mark Feldman, President and CEO of TuTv. "DISH Network provides the best platform for a U.S. launch of the TuTv networks. The fast-growing Hispanic audience, which is already familiar with Televisa's channels from their wide distribution throughout Latin America, now will have access in the U.S. to our unparalleled selection of Spanish-language movies, music and entertainment programming."
No matter which DISH Latino package a customer chooses, there are two ways to get a free DISH Network satellite receiver system and free standard professional installation.
● Purchase the satellite dish and receiver for $149. The customer then receives a $12.50 credit per month for the first 12 months of service, totaling $150 which covers the cost of the system.. ● Purchase two satellite receivers and one satellite dish for $49.99. The customer then receives a credit for $49.99 on the first bill – equaling a free satellite television system. This option allows customers to watch satellite television in two rooms.
For more information on the DISH Latino package and promotions, call 1-800-333-DISH (3474), visit www.dishnetwork.com or contact your local DISH Network retailer.
EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its DISH Network, is a leading U.S. provider of satellite television entertainment services with 8.53 million customers. DISH Network provides advanced digital satellite television services to the home, including hundreds of video, audio and data channels, personal video recording, HDTV, sports and international programming, professional installation and 24-hour customer service. Visit DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com.
TuTv was created in 2002 through a joint venture between Univision Communications Inc. and Televisa S.A. TuTv includes five of the most powerful network brands in the Spanish-speaking media world, including De Película, De Película Clásico, Telehit, Ritmoson and Bandamax. This collection of digital television networks produced by Televisa is already distributed and popular throughout Mexico, Latin America and Europe. Featuring classic and contemporary films, music videos that reflect the rhythms, vibrancy and passions of Hispanic communities, and wildly popular youth and lifestyle programming, the TuTv suite of networks is the premier vehicle for pay television providers to reach the fastest-growing market in America.
Grupo Televisa, S.A., is the largest media company in the Spanish-speaking world, and a major player in the international entertainment business. It has interests in television production and broadcasting, programming for pay television, international distribution of television programming, direct-to-home satellite services, publishing and publishing distribution, cable television, radio production and broadcasting, professional sports and show business promotions, paging services, feature film production and distribution, dubbing, and the operation of a horizontal Internet portal. Grupo Televisa also has an unconsolidated equity stake in Univision, the leading Spanish-language television company in the United States.
Univision Communications Inc. (NYSE: UVN) is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include: Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 97 percent of U.S. Hispanic households; TeleFutura Network, the new 24-hour general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network reaching 75 percent of U.S. Hispanic Households; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 23 Univision Network television stations and one non-Univision television station; TeleFutura Television Group, which owns and operates 29 TeleFutura Network television stations; Galavisión, the country's leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Music Group, which includes the Univision Music label, Fonovisa Records label, and a 50 percent interest in Mexican based Disa Records label as well as Fonomusic and America Musical Publishing companies; and Univision Online, the premier internet company in the U.S. Hispanic market located at www.univision.com. Univision Communications is headquartered in Los Angeles with network operations in Miami and television stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States.