DirecTV Adds NBA TV in HD
Satellite-TV Provider Now Up to 74 National HD Channels
By Jon Hemingway -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/31/2007 1:39:00 PM
DirecTV is chipping away at its goal of 100 high-definition channels by year’s end with the addition of NBA TV HD.
The NBA TV HD channel simulcast will carry more than 72 games and other National Basketball Association programming in HD and will be available to DirecTV subscribers on channel 601.
"Sports fans continue to be the most enthusiastic consumers of HD," DirecTV executive vice president of content strategy and development Derek Chang said in a statement.
DirecTV has been aggressively marketing its HD offerings as a differentiator from cable companies that on average offer far fewer linear channels in HD. The satellite-television provider now carries 74 national HD channels, including 16 sports networks. The company’s goal is to offer 100 channels by the end of the year and 150 by the end of 2008.
Cable companies, which average around 20-25 HD channels on their systems, contended that having fewer linear channels is alright when they can deliver a robust menu of HD offerings on-demand.
