Level 3 CDN Services to Support Live and On-Demand Online Video Streaming for MLB.com

BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) today announced it has been selected by MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, to augment content delivery network (CDN) services in support of its live and on-demand online streaming.

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With the addition of these services, Level 3 is supporting the delivery of MLB.com's video streaming from creation to consumption using Level 3's highly scalable CDN platform combined with the company's Vyvx video broadcast backhaul services.

"Our relationship with MLB.com is a perfect example of the benefits of Level 3's creation to consumption model," said Mark Taylor, vice president of Content and Media at Level 3. "We can provide the CDN services they need, but that's just one piece of the puzzle. We also provide a full suite of customized solutions – from video backhaul to HSIP to colocation to storage – in order to meet more of their connectivity needs from a single provider. As a result, we're better able to optimize the different delivery workflows along the way, facilitating better outcomes for MLB.com and its business partners, and a better online viewing experience for baseball fans."

Level 3 is currently augmenting CDN services for live and on-demand online streaming to MLB.TV. The subscription-based video service is one of the largest subscription video offerings on the Internet. In February, MLB.com reported that since its inception, MLB.TV had served more than one billion live video streams, a quarter of which were delivered in 2010. Level 3's network and CDN platform are designed to easily scale to meet demand like this – from flash crowds to peak loads.

"In choosing Level 3 for one of our CDN services, we've been able to achieve optimal CDN redundancy and performance diversity, enabling us to provide a higher quality and more reliable online experience for baseball fans," said Joe Choti, chief technology officer for MLB.com.

In June 2010, Level 3 announced it had been selected by MLB.com to provide high-speed IP (HSIP) and colocation to support MLB.com's network, media archive, as well as live and on-demand streaming capabilities. Level 3's relationship had previously included Vyvx video backhaul services for live-game streams.

For more information on Level 3's live and on-demand online streaming capabilities, please visit http://www.level3.com/index.cfm?pageID=42.

About Level 3 Communications

Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) is a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with an industry-leading combination of scalability and value over an end-to-end fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice. For more information, visit www.Level3.com.

© Level 3 Communications, LLC.  All Rights Reserved.  Vyvx, Venuenet+, Level 3, Level 3 Communications, From Creation to Consumption and the Level 3 Communications Logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.  Level 3 services are provided by wholly owned subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc.  Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.

Some of the statements made in this press release are forward looking in nature. These statements are based on management's current expectations or beliefs. These forward looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3's control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. The most important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to:  the current uncertainty in the global financial markets and the global economy; a discontinuation of the development and expansion of the Internet as a communications medium and marketplace for the distribution and consumption of data and video; and disruptions in the financial markets that could affect Level 3's ability to obtain additional financing.  Additional factors include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to:  increase and maintain the volume of traffic on its network; develop effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; adapt to rapid technological changes that lead to further competition; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate acquisitions; and meet all of the terms and conditions of debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Level 3 Communications, Inc.