Sling.com Announces Content Distribution Agreement With HIT Entertainment

March 30, 2009

Sling.com Announces Content Distribution Agreement With HIT Entertainment 17.5 KB

NEW YORK, NY and FOSTER CITY, CA, Mar 30, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- HIT Entertainment, a world-renowned provider of quality children's entertainment, and Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced a content distribution partnership for a variety of premium programming from HIT Entertainment that, in the coming weeks, will be available on Sling Media's free video entertainment web site, Sling.com. Sling.com will feature videos from a variety of popular HIT Entertainment properties, including Thomas the Tank Engine(TM), Barney (TM), Bob the Builder(TM), and many others.

Sling Media will create a custom HIT Entertainment-branded channel within Sling.com, which will give users direct and easy access to their favorite HIT brands.

"Partnering with Sling Media provides an exciting new channel of distribution for our programs," said Rob Weisstuch, senior vice president and CIO, HIT Entertainment. "Through this agreement, we are pleased to be able to offer families access to a vast library of programs when they want it, where they want it."

"We are delighted to be able to bring these marquee brands to the Sling.com audience," said Sarah Jeon, vice president of Content Acquisition & Partnerships for Sling Media. "HIT's brands represent the gold standard of children's programming, and we couldn't be more excited to be able to offer this video content to our users."

Sling.com is an ad-supported online video portal that gives users free access to a premiere library of diverse professional content from television networks, movie studios, sports leagues and top websites. A true "water cooler on the web," Sling.com combines professional programming with a unique editorial voice and easy, logical navigation, allowing users to browse within special channels, networks, and show pages that feature long-and short-form content from a variety of video partners. A full list of channels available on Sling.com can be found at http://www.sling.com/network/list.

About HIT Entertainment

HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney(TM), Bob the Builder(TM), Thomas & Friends(TM), Pingu(TM), Fireman Sam(TM), Angelina Ballerina(TM) and Rainbow Magic(TM). HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifiand the Flowertots(TM) and Roary the Racing Car(TM) in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit(TM), Shaun the Sheep(TM) and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as a worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic family brands and as representative for The Wiggles(R) in the UK. Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US-based preschool channel, PBS KIDS Sprout(SM), and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China). For more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.

About Sling Media, Inc.

Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today's digital way of life. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox(TM) that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones and the revolutionary new SlingCatcher(TM), a universal media player that seamlessly delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV. Sling Media is also the company behind the video entertainment web site, Sling.com, offering consumers a wide variety of popular TV shows, movies and other entertainment free for viewing online or on the TV using SlingCatcher. For more information on Sling Media, the Slingbox or the SlingCatcher, visit www.slingmedia.com. To watch your favorite TV shows and movies, check out www.sling.com.

Media contacts:
Jay Tannenbaum
Sling Media
650-293-8007
Email Contact

Noelle Dong
HIT Entertainment
646.467.5336
Email Contact

SOURCE: Sling Media

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