Comcast SportsNet, Portland Trail Blazers Announce A New Regional Sports Network

Comcast SportsNet, Portland Trail Blazers Announce A New Regional Sports Network

Comcast SportsNet Northwest To Serve Sports Fans Across the Region

PORTLAND, Ore., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast SportsNet President Jon Litner and Portland Trail Blazers Executive Vice President, Business Operations Mike Golub today announced the formation of a new 24-hour, seven- day regional sports network, Comcast SportsNet Northwest, to serve sports fans in Oregon and across the Northwest. The announcement was made today at a press conference at the Rose Garden.

Comcast SportsNet Northwest will feature coverage of the Portland Trail Blazers as the flagship programming as well as other compelling sports content. The network will be owned and operated by Comcast SportsNet and launch in October 2007 in time for the 2007-2008 NBA season. Comcast SportsNet will have a strong local presence and carry original programming from studio facilities at the Rose Garden and other locations.

"Comcast SportsNet will dramatically increase exposure for the Trail Blazers and bring sports fans more news, updates and analysis about the teams, players and games that they care about the most," said Comcast SportsNet President Jon Litner. "We look forward to partnering with the Trail Blazers and serving sports fans in this region with the same innovative brand of comprehensive, local coverage that we feature in our other markets."

"We are thrilled to partner with Comcast SportsNet and feel that sports fans in Portland and throughout the Northwest are going to be the true winners," said Trail Blazers Executive Vice President, Business Operations Mike Golub. "Our partnership will serve sports fans in ways never before possible and deliver an unprecedented amount of Trail Blazers games, programming and access."

During its launch season Comcast SportsNet Northwest will carry at least 55 regular season Trail Blazers games, which when combined with the Trail Blazers' over-the-air coverage, means that 81 regular season Trail Blazers games will be on television next season, the most in the team's history. Comparatively, the Trail Blazers had 61 total regular season games on television last season. Comcast SportsNet Northwest will also dramatically increase the number of Trail Blazers' games in HDTV by nearly 200%, airing 28 of 36 home games in HDTV.

Other programming will include expanded pre-game and post-game Trail Blazers analysis, selected pre-season and playoff games, a season preview, and specials focused on the NBA draft, the all-star game, and the playoffs. Comcast SportsNet Northwest will also cover a variety of other sports relevant to fans in the region, including a daily morning news show with the latest highlights, updates and stats. The network will provide fans with multimedia sports content online and through video on demand. Additional programming details will be announced before the network launches this fall.

Litner also announced that Dave Manougian will oversee the launch of Comcast SportsNet Northwest and hire a local management team. Manougian, who is based in Portland and a graduate of Portland State University, is executive vice president of sports programming for Comcast Corporation and CEO of The Golf Channel, also owned by Comcast. Last month Comcast named Page Thompson as president of The Golf Channel, allowing Manougian to focus on broader strategic projects for The Golf Channel and Comcast. During Manougian's tenure with The Golf Channel, the network has enjoyed 13 straight years of revenue and subscriber growth, and he formed the network's new media division to deliver cross-platform content on mobile devices and via video on demand. Previously he was a sales and marketing executive for Nike.

Comcast SportsNet will be carried on Comcast Cable systems in the Northwest and made available to other cable and satellite providers throughout the region.

In addition to today's announcement, last month Comcast announced that it will acquire Cablevision's stakes in FSN New England and FSN Bay Area. Following the completion of those transactions, which are anticipated to close later this year pending regulatory approval, Comcast SportsNet will manage those two networks, home to the NBA's Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors, MLB's San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, the NHL's San Jose Sharks, and other sports programming.

About Comcast SportsNet

Comcast SportsNet operates eight sports networks that televise more than 1,600 live sporting events annually and deliver local and national sports news, analysis and commentary to more than 27 million cable and satellite homes. Comcast SportsNet's networks are: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Comcast SportsNet West, SportsNet New York, The Mtn. - MountainWest Sports Network, CSS, and Comcast Local Detroit. These networks provide live game coverage of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Chicago Blackhawks; the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, and Sacramento Kings; and MLB's Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets; as well as a comprehensive mix of college and minor league sports events. For more information see ComcastSportsNet.com.

About the Portland Trail Blazers

Winners of the 1977 NBA Championship, the Portland Trail Blazers are Portland's only major league professional sports franchise. Owned by investor and philanthropist Paul G. Allen of Seattle since 1988, the Trail Blazers continue to be a competitive NBA leader in playoff appearances, sports marketing and community relations. With a corporate culture that promotes volunteerism, the Blazers Community Builders employee volunteer program was a key centerpiece in the Trail Blazers receiving the prestigious National Points of Light Award for Excellence in Corporate Community Service. The Trail Blazers were the first and continue to be the only professional sports team to achieve this honor. To learn more about the Trail Blazers, visit their website at http://www.trailblazers.com/ .

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Comcast SportsNet

CONTACT: Tim Fitzpatrick of Comcast SportsNet, +1-215-952-7086,
tfitzpatrick@comcastsportsnet.com , or Mike Hanson of Portland Trail Blazers,
+1-503-793-1342, mike.hanson@trailblazers.com

Web site:

http://www.trailblazers.com/

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