DIRECTV Says 'Yes' to ITV

New York Yankee games will include interactive features, including live stats.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (July 27, 2006) -- DIRECTV and the YES Network have joined to provide several interactive features for New York Yankee broadcasts.

YES subscribers can now access live stats, scores of other games on demand and a special camera angle available only to them. The bonus camera could include shots of the Yankee dugout or an isolated view of an individual player, such as shortstop Derek Jeter.

Reuters reports that in a recent broadcast, the bonus camera showed Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi screaming at the umpire while the main feed showed a replay of the last pitch.

The YES channel is only available to DIRECTV subscribers in the New York area. However, if successful, DIRECTV might expand the ITV features to other regional sports channels.

Swanni Sez:
Interactive TV continues to struggle in the United States as viewers show little interest in interacting with the tube. But the DIRECTV-YES program will likely be popular with die-hard Yankee fans, particularly the feature that enables them to instantly check the scores of other teams, such as the hated Boston Red Sox.

Still, it's unlikely that many people will use the ITV features. TV viewing remains a passive experience, even for Yankee fans.

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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