DIRECTV and IGN Entertainment Change the Face of Televised Sports, Score a Broadcast Landmark With Championship Gaming Invitational

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading digital television serviceprovider, is about to forever change the face of televised sports andscore a broadcast landmark with the Championship Gaming Invitational,a special event to be taped July 21-22 and to air in August on DIRECTVas part of its original programming lineup. The special representsDIRECTV's entree into the world of professional video gaming,providing production values and storytelling that will raise the sportto a new level.

Teaming up with IGN Entertainment, Microsoft Xbox, Mountain Dew,Fox Interactive Media (FIM) and Best Buy, DIRECTV will present thisinternational, two-day challenge featuring huge prize purses for topfinishers and instant money payouts. Competitors will face off inextreme games such as Electronic Arts(TM) Battlefield 2(TM), MicrosoftGame Studio's(TM) Project Gotham Racing(R) 3 and Halo(R) 2, Tecmo's(R)Dead or Alive(R) 4, and Valve's(R) Counter-Strike(TM) 1.6.

"We believe that professional video gaming is the next big thingin sports entertainment and we are dedicated to creating andtelevising the best gaming experience available anywhere," said DavidHill, president of DIRECTV Entertainment. "This invitational willprove that commitment as we gather together some of the most talentedplayers, the hottest production team and innovative set designers tocreate a truly unique video gaming environment and a one-of-a-kindtelevision event."

"The video gaming world has never seen anything like this," addedDale Strang, executive vice president and general manager of IGNEntertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media. "This two-dayinvitational will take pro gaming to the next level by treating itlike a sport and its players as athletes. It is unprecedented."

Arthur Smith and Kent Weed from powerhouse entertainmentproduction company, A. Smith & Co., will executive produce the specialalong with 11-time Emmy award-winning sports producer Mike Burks.Together, they will place the viewer inside the action with adetailed, close-up look into the arena and events taking place on andoff the field. Sean Atkins of A. Smith & Co. will serve asco-executive producer. Acclaimed set designer Jeff Hall will transforma 16,000-square-foot airplane hanger, at the former Treasure IslandNaval Base in San Francisco, into an indoor arena for video gaming --complete with a center stage and surrounding stadium.

DIRECTV will add its expertise in professional sports coverage bygiving viewers the most unlimited access to players and the fieldincluding play-by-play commentary and a unique, point-of-viewperspective. Production values will be unmatched for a gamingcompetition as 16 different HD cameras surrounding the arena combinewith Dolby Pro Logic 5.1 surround sound to bring viewers inside thegame to capture all elements of the competition.

To ensure standards of professional competition and fairness,DIRECTV has enlisted some of the best experts in the industry tocreate and administer rules for this unique event.

The Championship Gaming Invitational is one of three gamingspecials DIRECTV will air in 2006. The special is designed to set thestage for the previously announced Championship Gaming Series, a newprofessional gaming league in association with IGN Entertainment,Microsoft Xbox, Best Buy, and Mountain Dew. The league will form in2007 with competitions airing exclusively on DIRECTV.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. is the nation's leading digital cable televisionservice provider with more than 15.4 million customers. DIRECTV is aregistered trademark of DIRECTV, Inc. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) is aworld-leading provider of digital multichannel televisionentertainment. DIRECTV is approximately 38 percent owned by NewsCorporation.

About IGN Entertainment

IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is aleading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogameand entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's propertiesreached more than 35 million unique users worldwide in the month ofMarch 2006, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScoreMedia Metrix. IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com,GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web'snumber one videogame information destination and attracts one of thelargest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGNalso owns and operates the popular movie-related website, RottenTomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com.In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play invideogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, withoffices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal.

About Fox Interactive Media

A division of News Corp. (NWS), Fox Interactive Media (FIM) is anintegrated network of sites offering socially rich media experiencescentered on entertainment, news, information and self-expression. Thecompany's network includes Internet assets from News Corp. divisions,including the highly trafficked Foxsports.com, Americanidol.com andFox.com. FIM also owns and operates such category leaders as MySpace,the number one social networking site on the Web; IGN, a leadinggaming and entertainment site; Scout.com, a dynamic collegiate and prosports network; AskMen, a leading men's lifestyle site, and RottenTomatoes, the premier destination for movie-goers, among others.

About A. Smith & Co. Productions

A. Smith & Co. was formed in November 2000 by former Fox SportsNetwork Head of Programming, Production and News, Arthur Smith. KentWeed, longtime friend and industry veteran, joined Smith in thisventure to produce high quality programming for all mediums. Rightfrom its inception, the company hit the ground running, securingnumerous commitments from broadcast networks, cable networks andsyndicators. The company specializes in variety, reality, talk, game,music, sketch, documentary and event programming.