Starz Free Preview Weekend on DIRECTV Sept. 14 - 17

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment and DIRECTV, Inc. are offering an exclusive free preview weekend to all DIRECTV customers beginning Thursday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Sept. 17. An added incentive running during the free preview weekend is "The Starz Walk with Santa Sweepstakes," promoted exclusively to DIRECTV customers. The sweepstakes features a grand prize trip for two to the Hollywood premiere of "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," in theatres everywhere Nov. 3.

The free preview will highlight 12 channels in the Starz Super Pack including Starz East, Starz West, Starz InBlack, Starz Edge, Encore East, Encore West, Encore Love, Encore Westerns, Encore Mystery, Encore Wam, Encore Drama and Encore Action.

"The Starz Super Pack has a comprehensive movie offering and we are thrilled to give our customers a free weekend to enjoy and sample the great films," said Dan Ferguson, director, marketing, DIRECTV. "The Starz Super Pack is a perfect product for movie lovers and the 'The Starz Walk with Santa Sweepstakes' will provide early holiday presents for lucky DIRECTV subscribers."

"The Starz Super Pack consistently provides the best movie value on DIRECTV with an unparalleled library of hundreds of movies each month for the whole family," added Tom Wenzel, director of affiliate sales with Starz Entertainment. The free preview weekend introduces DIRECTV customers to big Hollywood blockbusters available exclusively on Starz including "Chicken Little," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Flightplan" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure." Movies coming to Starz later in 2006 include "Memoirs of a Geisha," "Glory Road," "Eight Below," "Freedomland," "Fun with Dick and Jane" and more.

"The Starz Walk with Santa Sweepstakes" begins at 12:00:01 a.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 9 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 22. The sweepstakes is open to legal U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older as of the promotion period start date. To enter the sweepstakes go to http://www.directv.com/starz during the promotion period, click on "The Starz Walk with Santa Sweepstakes" banner, complete the entry form and click the submit button. The limit is one entry per person per day. Eligible entrants will have a chance to win:

* One (1) grand-prize: trip for two to Los Angeles, Calif. with two admissions to the premiere of the movie "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause." Included in the trip is transportation to/from Los Angeles; two (2) nights hotel accommodations (double occupancy); two (2) admissions to the Oct. 29, 2006 premiere of the Disney Pictures' "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause" at El Capitan Theater; private car service to/from hotel/airport; use of a limousine for one 5-hour period of time Oct. 29; and $500. * Or one-hundred fifty (150) first prizes: "A The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause" gift pack.

Holiday magic mixes with comical chaos at the North Pole in "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause." Tim Allen reprises his role of Scott Calvin -- a.k.a. Santa -- as he juggles a full house of family and the mischievous Jack Frost (Martin Short), who is trying take over the "big guy's" holiday. At the risk of giving away the secret location of the North Pole, Scott invites his in-laws (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin) to share in the holiday festivities, and upcoming birth of baby Claus with expectant wife, Carol -- a.k.a. Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell).

Along for the adventure are Scott's extended family, son Charlie (Eric Lloyd), ex-wife Laura Miller (Wendy Crewson), her husband, Neil Miller (Judge Reinhold) and their daughter, Lucy (Liliana Mumy) who, together with head elf Curtis (Spencer Breslin), foil Jack Frost's crafty scheme to control the North Pole.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz(R) and Encore(R) brands with approximately 15.1 million and 27.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand and Vongo(SM). Starz Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation that is attributed to Liberty Capital Group, http://www.starz.com/.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 15.5 million customers through exclusive content, industry-leading customer service (which has surpassed cable for six years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound; exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere including NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM), and MLB EXTRA INNINGS(TM). DIRECTV also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan(TM), US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. DIRECTV is approximately 39 percent owned by News Corporation. For the most up-to-date information on the Company, please visit directv.com.

Contact: Michelle Ellis Darris Gringeri Starz Entertainment DIRECTV (720) 852-6269 (212) 462-5136 michelle.ellis@starz.com dagringeri@directv.com