ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2006--EchoStar Satellite L.L.C. and Nimbus Sport International, Pte., Ltd., which owns the Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) rights, announced today that EchoStar has acquired exclusive radio, television, broadband and internet distribution rights in North America including Caribbean Nations for all BCCI matches occurring on the soil of India from 2006 to 2010. The BCCI series of events is one of the most popular cricketing events and draws hundreds of millions of worldwide viewers annually. 
 

"EchoStar continues to be the leader in the distribution of cricket by delivering major one-day international events and regular test matches for the past 10 years to the South Asian and cricketing community living in the U.S.," said Michael Kelly, executive vice president of EchoStar. "This acquisition furthers our status as the leader of cricket programming. EchoStar plans to continue to add major cricket events for our North American customers."

The BCCI events include national cricket, test cricket and international cricket beginning with the England Tour of India commencing March 2, 2006. Other events include:

-- TBD - January 2007

-- Australia Tour of India - October 2007

-- Pakistan Tour of India - November 2007

-- TBD - January 2008

-- Australia Tour of India - October 2008

-- England Tour of India - March 2009

-- Australia Tour of India - October 2009

-- Sri Lanka Tour or India - November 2009

-- South Africa Tour of India - February 2010

EchoStar is the exclusive distributor of the Indian National, One Day and Test cricket in the following territories: the United States, Mexico, Canada and all Caribbean nations including Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and British Guiana, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, the Dutch Antilles, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Surinam, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

For more information on sublicensing rights, please contact EchoStar at 720-514-5351.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) serves more than 12 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network(TM), the fastest growing U.S. provider of advanced digital television services in the last five years. DISH Network offers hundreds of video and audio channels, Interactive TV, HDTV, sports and international programming, together with professional installation and 24-hour customer service. Visit EchoStar's DISH Network at www.dishnetwork.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474).