Davis Cup final to be aired exclusively for Viasat's digital-TV subscribers
DAVIS CUP FINAL TO BE AIRED EXCLUSIVELY FOR VIASAT'S DIGITAL-TV SUBSCRIBERS All those who have Viasat's digital-TV set-top box in the Nordic and Baltic countries will be offered star-packed tennis entertainment on the weekend of December 8-10. One of the most world's most prestigious tennis matches, The Davis Cup Final- this year between Spain and Australia- is being shown exclusively for these Viasat customers. The transmissions can only be seen by owners of satellite dishes who are Viasat digital subscribers. This event, aired live from Barcelona, includes all five matches between the two great tennis nations of Spain and Australia. This is the premiere for content from Viasat Xtra, which is accessed through the remote control. Viasat's digital TV platform is currently being launched in the Nordic and Baltic countries. All satellite television households who have Viasat Gold subscriptions will receive the new digital-TV set-box free of charge. Other households will be able to buy a ready package, which includes the satellite dish, the digital set-box and a 12-month subscription to the Viasat Gold premium offer. In practice, this means that the digital-TV set-box and the dish are being distributed free of charge. The Viasat digital TV platform provides all the advantages of digital distribution, from better sound quality to simpler access. The Davis Cup Final is only one of a range of initiatives for better selection, such as Viasat Xtra and a number of new channels, like BBC World, Travel Deals Direct and German RTL. TV1000 and Cinema are available in multiplex, which means that the movies begin at three different times each evening. The music content from Swedish RIX FM, Power Hit Radio and Norwegian PR is complemented by new music stations, including jazz, classical music, and other music genres from the latest decades. Viasat Ticket will offer feature films, sporting events, and concerts that viewers will be able to order to watch when they want. A number of interactive services will be offered within the framework for Everyday.tv, with news, weather, and more. E-mail and chat will also soon be launched. Viasat Xtra will air the Davis Cup Final, which is played on a clay court, starting on Friday with two singles matches. On Saturday, the doubles match will be shown, and on Sunday the two final singles matches will be shown. Spain beat the USA with a 5-0 score in the one semi-final. If Spain wins, it will be the first Davis Cup victory ever for Spain in the 101-year history of the tournament. Australia is defending last year's Davis Cup victory. Australia beat Brazil in the semi-finals with a score of 5-0. On the Spanish team are Alex Corretja, Alberto Costa, Juan-Carlos Ferrero and Juan Balcells. And the members of Australien team are Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, Mark Woodforde and Sandon Stolle. These teams faced each other on three previous occasions: in 1922 in the US and in 1965 and 1967 in Australia. All three events were played on grass and ended with a final score of 4-1 in favor of the Australians. The air times: Fredag, December 8, 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 9, 4:00 p.m. Sunday, December 10, 1:00 p.m. For further information, please contact: Steen Ulf Jensen, head of Viasat Broadcasting pay TV business area, at +44-1895 433 433. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/12/06/20001206BIT00950/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/12/06/20001206BIT00950/bit0002.pdf