DIRECTV to be Exclusive Advertiser of Sports Illustrated's Acclaimed Pictures of the Year Issue

NEW YORK, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- It was announced today that DIRECTV will be the exclusive advertiser for the annual, award-winning Sports Illustrated Pictures of the Year special issue which hits newsstands tomorrow. This is a unique, highly-creative convergence of two iconic brands that deliver the most and best visuals in sports.

"If you call yourself a sports fan, you gotta have DIRECTV," said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of advertising and PR for DIRECTV. "We are always looking for unique and cutting-edge ways to demonstrate why DIRECTV is hands-down the best television experience in the business, and creating this exclusive presence in SI's Pictures of the Year certainly does that."

DIRECTV and marketing partner Deutsch Inc. crafted the program to demonstrate how DIRECTV and Sports Illustrated both deliver the best in sports through images. The campaign creates a seamless treatment of powerful and poignant photos from cover to cover of the issue. DIRECTV will have more than 20 pages of advertising in the 72-page issue.

"The ability to have a sole presence in the issue and bring content, message and media together was an absolute slam dunk -- if you will excuse the best sports metaphor ever," Peter Gardiner, Chief Media Officer, Deutsch Inc. "Fans of DIRECTV and Sports Illustrated expect the best in sports and this program delivers that in a compelling way."

The highly-anticipated SI Pictures of the Year issue features the very best, poignant and storytelling photos from SI photographers. This year, SI photography has won more than a dozen awards and SI photographer Heinz Kluetmeier gained national notoriety for his underwater photos capturing Michael Phelps's breathtaking .01 win over Milorad Cavic in the 100M butterfly during the Beijing Olympics.

"DIRECTV and Sports Illustrated are passionate about producing iconic, story-telling images. SI Pictures of the Year issue provided the perfect platform for our friends at DIRECTV to extend their message to our readers," said Jeff Griffing, Sports Illustrated Group Vice President of Ad Sales.

About Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated (www.si.com) is a multimedia sports brand that takes the consumer into the heart and soul of sports. The SI franchise is anchored by Sports Illustrated, the most respected voice in sports journalism which reaches a weekly audience of nearly 21 million adults, and www.SI.com, the magazine's 24/7 sports news website that delivers more than 150 original stories to its users each week. The SI franchise also includes Sports Illustrated Kids (www.sikids.com), a monthly magazine targeted to kids age 8 and up; Golf Magazine and www.Golf.com; www.FanNation.com, a social networking and sports-news aggregation platform; www.SIOncampus.com, a website dedicated to college sports and the college sports lifestyle; SI Presents, the magazine's specialty publishing division; as well as SI Books, SI Pictures, SI Productions, SI Digital and SI Events. Founded in 1954, SI is a division of Time Inc., the world's leading magazine publishing company and a subsidiary of Time Warner.

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTV), the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17.3 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with more than 130 HD channels -- more quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed all national cable companies for eight years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

About Deutsch Inc.

Deutsch Inc. is a multi-disciplinary marketing communications agency known for its insatiable culture and ability to drive bottom-line business results for clients. Part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), Deutsch crafts a best-in-class array of marketing programs, including advertising, direct marketing, interactive, media buying and planning, design, public relations, promotions, events and branded entertainment.

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