Baseball Slugger Manny Ramirez Turns Cricket Batsman In Support of DIRECTV’s CricketTicket™ Service; Hits Five of Eight Pitches in Cricket Debut

Baseball superstar Manny Ramirez has faced baseball’s toughest pitchers, but today he encountered a challenge of a different kind at Nichols Park in Gilbert, Ariz., home to the Arizona Cricket Club. Ramirez was swinging at googlies and grubbers instead of split-finger fast balls in his debut as a cricket batsman to promote DIRECTV’s exclusive CricketTicket™ Service. The great slugger hit five of eight pitches from the bowler, including a rocket shot that dispersed a crowd standing behind the bowler.

"I have faced some tough pitchers before, but we don’t have to ever swing at a bouncing ball that is rising as it passes us,” said Ramirez, who was coached at the event by Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh. "Shaun is a great hitter and he gave me some great pointers. I hadn’t watched much cricket in the past, but the game is a lot like baseball. Shaun said I definitely have a future in the game.”

Marsh, just 25, is one of the finest young batsmen in Australia and has played for such fabled clubs as Kings XI Punjab and Western Australia. An Australia A representative, Marsh made his first-class debut in 2000-01, and was also part of the Australia Under-19 squad that won the World Cup in 2002.

"I am honored to be the one player in the entire world of cricket selected to give Manny some pointers today,” said Marsh. "I thoroughly enjoyed coming to the United States and being able to spend some time sharing my passion for the sport with someone who is just as passionate about his sport as Manny is. Maybe he can return the favor next Spring.”

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation’s leading satellite TV service provider, and Willow TV, Inc., the Internet’s largest portal for cricket streaming video, have entered into multi-year agreements that give DIRECTV broadcast rights for International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, Indian Premier League (IPL) tournaments, Champions League Twenty20, Australian cricket, South African cricket and New Zealand cricket. These rights also include events such as the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England, the 2009/10 IPL tournaments, the 2009 India tour of New Zealand and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

"As Manny Ramirez, who tried his hand at cricket for the first time today can attest, being an all-star hitter in baseball does not automatically mean that you are going to be an outstanding batsman in cricket,” said John de Armas, vice president, WorldDirect, Inc. "Perhaps if he watches some of the biggest cricket events from around the world on DIRECTV’s CricketTicket™ this year, his skills as a batsman will improve.”

Since February 11, ICC and IPL cricket tours have been available to U.S. audiences, exclusively on DIRECTV’s CricketTicket™ 2009 package. CricketTicket is part of DIRECTV’s International programming platform and is available for $299.99 for the full season, or the IPL & ICC World T20 package can be purchased for $199.99.

Individual matches can also be purchased á la carte, pricing varies depending on the specific game. WorldDirect™ customers must first subscribe to DIRECTV BASIC ($9.99/mo) or PREFFERED CHOICE ($32.99/mo) and one of the international programming packages or any DIRECTV base programming package ($29.99/mo or above). CricketTicket is the first-ever, year-long subscription TV package for international cricket. Customers can receive more information on the package by calling 1-800-378-4179 or visit www.cricketticket.com. High resolution photos of the event are available after 3:30 PM PST at the following address: http://leaderwestcoast.smugmug.com/gallery/7632061_Zk8J3/1/494087734_ovxCq

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV), the nation’s leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17.6 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 Willow TV, Inc.

Willow TV, Inc., is the world’s leading portal for Internet streaming of major international cricket. Willow TV provides its community of 1.5 million global users with an unparalleled viewing experience comprised of live matches, on-demand replays and highlights, interactive video scorecards, and mobile offerings. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, with offices in Bangalore, India. For the latest information on Willow TV, please visit www.willow.tv.