CBS And RCA Join Forces To Present Super Bowl XXXV And AFC Playoffs In HDTV

17-Aug-00

CBS Television and THOMSON multimedia's RCA brand have entered into an advertising agreement for Thomson (NYSE: TMS) to underwrite the costs of producing high definition coverage of Super Bowl XXXV as well as the four AFC playoff games.Produced by CBS, the five live HDTV telecasts will be produced and transmitted independent of the regularly scheduled CBS football coverage being broadcast on the traditional analog network. All NFL HDTV programming will be broadcast in 1080i, the high definition widescreen digital television format. The five games are:AFC Wildcard, Sunday, December 31, 2000AFC Division playoffs, Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7, 2001AFC Championships, Sunday, January 14Super Bowl XXXV, Sunday, January 28, from Tampa, Florida.""CBS Sports is pleased to partner with Thomson and further the network's position as a leader in the digital sports television area,"" said Sean McManus, President, CBS Sports. ""From primetime to the best in sports television to the most watched television event of the year, CBS continues to create more opportunities than other network for viewers to enjoy high definition television in all dayparts."" ""As the consumer electronics sponsor for the NFL and a leading manufacturer of digital television products, RCA is the ideal company to bring the finale of the football season to homes in HDTV,"" said Tom Wardrop, Vice President, Advertising, Americas for RCA. ""The Super Bowl is the most watched program all year on television, and we expect that America's favorite broadcast will spur interest in America's favorite TV brand - RCA. Once football fans see their favorite games in HDTV, they'll never want to go back to the same old screen,"" Wardrop said.Thirty-one of CBS's owned and affiliated stations are currently broadcasting in digital, covering approximately 45 percent of the nation. By the end of the year, CBS expects to be transmitting digital programming across approximately 41 stations, reaching approximately 58 percent of the U.S.RCA digital TV products include an affordable set-top DTC100 HDTV receiver ($649 suggested retail price). The DTC100 receives over-the-air analog and digital broadcasts, as well as standard and high definition services from the DIRECTVÆ satellite system. RCA also offers a line of projection and direct-view Digital High-Resolution Monitors and has just introduced a new, fully-integrated 38-inch widescreen HDTV set ($3,799 suggested retail price). The 38-inch RCA HDTV is now shipping to retailers and allows viewers to watch over-the-air analog and digital programming from local broadcasters as well as standard digital and high-definition programs from the DIRECTV satellite service.About THOMSON multimediaWith sales of 6.7 billion Euros (U.S. $6.5 billion) in 1999 and 55,000 employees in more than 30 countries, THOMSON multimedia is the world's fourth largest producer of consumer electronics. The group has four principal activities: Displays and Components, Consumer Products, New Media Services, and Patents and Licensing. THOMSON multimedia engineers, manufactures, and markets display components and consumer products such as televisions, VCRs, audio systems, digital decoders, DVD-Video players and professional video equipment under the popular RCA and THOMSON brand names. THOMSON multimedia is listed in the Paris (Sicovam: 18453) and New York (NYSE: TMS) stock exchanges. THOMSON multimedia is the parent company of the U.S.-based Thomson Consumer Electronics, Inc. For more information, visit www.thomson-multimedia.com.

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