NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

DIRECTV's "NASCAR Head-2-Head Knockout" Brings First-Ever Bracket Competition For Charity to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series , Intensifying Driver Rivalries With A 'Race Within A Race'

The unique DIRECTV bracket-format competition breaks new promotional ground for NASCAR racing as it will be the first time in the sport's history that drivers will compete in a bracket, head-to-head fashion, for charity.

The stakes are high for both drivers and spectators alike as winning drivers will build up cash prizes each week, with a total of $500,000 donated to charity during the course of the program. Consumers participating in the bracket have a chance to win a new car and the ultimate prize, a check for $1 million dollars to the person who picks a perfect bracket. Fans can get more information now by visiting www.directv.com/nascar and can begin entering their brackets on April 11. The program will also be promoted at NASCAR.COM.

The competition divides 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers into four regional brackets, with each driver going head-to-head against a new competitor each week in a single elimination format. Participating drivers advance to subsequent rounds by finishing higher than the driver they're matched up against each week. In classic "tournament" fashion, rounds one through three will narrow the field down to "The Fastest Four" who will trade paint for DIRECTV's NASCAR Head 2 Head Knockout Championship at Darlington Raceway.

The initial 32 drivers will be comprised of the 12 drivers who participated in the 2009 Sprint Cup Chase and the winners of the first seven races of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series. The 13 remaining bids will be determined by a selection committee to round out the 32-man field.

Following is a schedule for DIRECTV's NASCAR Head-2-Head Knockout competition in 2010:

• Round One on April 18 (Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway)
• Round Two on April 25 (Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway)
• Round Three on May 1 (Crown Royal presents "The Heath Calhoun 400", Richmond International Raceway)
• "The Fastest Four" on May 8 (Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway)

"Given DIRECTV's passion for absolutely anything sports related, we're excited to partner with NASCAR and FOX to showcase some of the intense rivalries that we all know exist within the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ," said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of Advertising and Public Relations for DIRECTV. "It will be exciting to watch the mano-a-mano match-ups unfold, creating a whole new competitive dynamic for our customers to enjoy on four Sundays this spring."

"DIRECTV's NASCAR Head-2-Head Knockout competition is another example of DIRECTV's commitment to NASCAR and our fans," said Jim O'Connell, NASCAR's Vice President of Corporate Marketing and International Development. "We are thrilled to have DIRECTV as a long time partner and look forward to our fans following the match ups on the NASCAR HOTPASS broadcast."

NASCAR HOTPASS, DIRECTV's exclusive broadcast that allows you to experience the race from the driver's vantage point, will transform into the ultimate way to track your brackets during the four-week competition and will be the best way to follow along.

About DIRECTV.

DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) is the world's most popular video service delivering state-of-the-art technology, unmatched programming, the most comprehensive sports packages available and industry leading customer service to its more than 24.5 million customers in the U.S. and Latin America. In the U.S., DIRECTV offers its 18.4 million customers the capacity for more than 200 HD channels in Dolby 5.1 theater-quality sound, access to exclusive sports programming such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET , award winning technology like its DIRECTV DVR Scheduler and higher customer satisfaction than the leading cable companies for nine years running. DIRECTV Latin America, through its subsidiaries and affiliated companies in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, leads the pay-TV category in technology, programming and service, delivering an unrivaled digital television experience to 6.1 million customers. DIRECTV sports and entertainment properties include three Regional Sports Networks (Northwest, Rocky Mountain and Pittsburgh) as well as a 65 percent interest in Game Show Network. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please call 1-800-DIRECTV or visit directv.com.

Marc Altieri
Leader Enterprises
(562) 546-6002
or
Darris Gringeri
DIRECTV
(212) 205-0882
or
Andrew Giangola
NASCAR
(212) 326-1880