DIRECTV, Inc., the exclusive distributor of the Championship Gaming Series? (CGS) in the U.S., and Blizzard Entertainment® are offering the world's most popular, massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft®, to new DIRECTV customers across the country.

Available now through Nov. 30, 2007, new customers who sign up for DIRECTV through 1-800-283-2778 (Promo Code ?57417 NEW?) will receive 11 months of free World of Warcraft game time (worth approximately $150 if purchased separately). New DIRECTV customers who are not current World of Warcraft players will be able to download a trial copy of the game, upgrade that to a full version at no cost, and also receive 11 months of free World of Warcraft game time.

?DIRECTV entered the professional gaming market last year when we introduced the CGS to our more than 16 million customers nationwide,? said Steven Roberts, senior vice president, New Media and Business Development, DIRECTV, Inc. ?World of Warcraft's popularity and large player base made it a natural choice for DIRECTV to partner with Blizzard and we are excited to offer both products to die-hard TV/gaming fans. DIRECTV is the home of professional gaming on television. The inclusion of World of Warcraft as part of the CGS makes this partnership that much more exciting.?

?Being able to enjoy World of Warcraft at no subscription cost for almost an entire year is a great value,? said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. ?We're glad we were able to work with DIRECTV to make this offer available to players.?

Since debuting in North America on Nov. 23, 2004, World of Warcraft has attracted a player base of more than 9 million worldwide. It was the bestselling PC game of 2005 and 2006 and has remained at or near the top of the weekly PC-game sales charts for much of 2007 as well. The Burning Crusade?, World of Warcraft's first expansion, released to critical acclaim in several regions earlier this year and shattered PC-game sales records in North America and Europe, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of release and approximately 3.5 million in its first month. World of Warcraft is available in seven different languages and, in addition to North America and Europe, is played in mainland China, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The Championship Gaming Series? (CGS), the world's first global professional gaming league, is currently broadcasting to more than 100 million homes worldwide and airing exclusively in the United States on DIRECTV's The 101. For more information on the CGS, please visit www.thecgs.com.

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 16.3 million customers in the United States, through exclusive content, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for seven years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to 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? and MLB EXTRA INNINGS®. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan?, US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft and the Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® series, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Vivendi Games, is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard's track record includes ten #1-selling games and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active users.

DIRECTV, Inc.
Jade Ekstedt, 310-964-3429
jlekstedt@directv.com