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DIRECTV Has 10 Million Customers

Nation's Leading Digital Television Service is Now Viewed in 10 Percent of TV Homes in the United States

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2001--DIRECTV, Inc., provider of the nation's leading digital television service and a unit of Hughes Electronics Corporation, announced today that earlier this week it activated its 10 millionth DIRECTV® customer.

Less than seven years after its national launch, DIRECTV is now the home entertainment service of choice in one of every 10 TV homes in the United States.

"There's a reason - actually several reasons - why thousands of consumers every day are abandoning cable for DIRECTV. It's because we have changed their television viewing experience by giving consumers more programming choices and channels, better quality and value, and more viewing control than they ever had before,'' said Eddy W. Hartenstein, chairman and CEO, DIRECTV, Inc. "Thanks to our 10 million satisfied customers, we have grown into the largest digital television service in the world. This milestone is also a testament to the hard work and dedication of all DIRECTV employees and the support of our programmers and partner companies who believed in us from the beginning.''

In the process of activating 10 million customers in less than seven years, DIRECTV has:

  • Become the third largest provider of multichannel television in the United States
  • Expanded its channel capacity from 53 channels at launch to more than 475 broadcast channels today
  • Brought local channels to 41 metropolitan markets, representing approximately 61 million households
  • Further revolutionized television by introducing new advanced DIRECTV System receivers that offer access to compelling features such as:
  • digital video recording;
  • dual satellite tuners;
  • Internet access;
  • interactive programming and information on demand;
  • high definition programming; and
  • the ability to pause, rewind and fast forward live television.
  • Launched the DIRECTV PARA TODOS(TM)Spanish-language programming service
  • Registered more than 320 million pay per view purchases

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