Saturday, April 5, 2014

The Masters Experience from DIRECTV is Anything but Par for the Course

Exclusive Masters Mix Offers Six HD Channels of CBS Sports and ESPN Coverage on One Screen; Interactive App has Enhanced HD Graphics and Improved Navigation

(EL SEGUNDO, Calif.) – Millions of golf fans will be adjusting their grip on the TV remote when DIRECTV’s newly enhanced Masters Experience debuts April 10 with live multi-screen, interactive coverage of the 2014 Masters Tournament.

DIRECTV will once again team up with CBS Sports and ESPN to provide fans with expanded coverage of golf’s most prestigious event, offering its exclusive six-screens-in-one Masters Mix channel and an interactive TV app that delivers every statistic, scorecard and tee time at the touch of a button.  And new for the app this year: HD graphics with higher resolution for easier reading; player bios and head shots; and the ability to navigate app features while still viewing the full broadcast video.

The Masters Mix (channel 701) will display the main CBS Sports/ESPN feed (702); two “Featured Group” channels (703-704); “Amen Corner” (705), complete coverage of the most famous stretch of Augusta National; holes 15 and 16 (706); and “Masters in Depth” (707), along with a continuously running leader board featuring live tee times, scoring and leaders’ locations on the course. Each extra channel is fully produced with its own announcers.  This year, the video cells on the Mix will dynamically update – from six to four to two – as bonus channels go off the air later in the day, for a better view of all the late-round play.   The Masters Experience will be broadcast April 10-13 – Thursday and Friday from 3-7:30 p.m. ET, Saturday 3-7 p.m.  ET, and Sunday 2-7 p.m. ET.

“The DIRECTV Masters Experience is designed for golf fans who want to immerse themselves in the drama and beauty that is so much a part of the Masters tradition,” said Chris Long, senior vice president, Original Content & Production, DIRECTV.  “We’re proud to continue our association with Augusta National, CBS Sports and ESPN to deliver another unmatched Masters Tournament viewing experience for fans at home.”

Viewers will have access to the following interactive menu of features alongside the broadcast video by pressing the red button on their remote: Leader Board, which also provides information on all golfers in the field, including each player’s hole-by-hole stats, and can be customized by selecting their favorite players to more easily track their scores; Scorecard, which displays scores, stats; Groups and Tee Times; Course Tour, Player Bios and Masters On Demand, which will show highlights packages of the previous rounds.

DIRECTV’s Tournament coverage will also include the 2014 Masters Preview Show premiering April 7 from 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. ET on its exclusive Audience Network.  CBS Sports golf announcers Jim Nantz and Ian Baker-Finch speak to past and present Masters players, including defending champion Adam Scott, three-time Masters champion and CBS Sports’ lead golf analyst Sir Nick Faldo, and 20-year-old sensation Jordan Spieth – only on DIRECTV.  The 2013 Masters Official Film also premieres on the Audience Network March 31 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET.  Through DIRECTV On Demand, viewers can download five highlight packages featuring the top two leaders and three notable players, great drives and sand saves from the first three rounds, as well as highlights from the winner’s final round and great final round finishes.  For details on all Tournament coverage visit www.directv.com/masters.

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