ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & BALTIMORE, Md.--EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) and its DISH Network^TM satellite TV service announced today the launch of the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), the television home of the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles.

“Adding the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network to our existing Regional Sports Networks lineup gives Nationals and Orioles fans all the more reason to subscribe to DISH Network,” said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of Programming for DISH Network. “By combining the latest and most popular sports programming with the functionality and technology of our industry-leading digital video recorders, they will find multiple ways to enhance their viewing experience.”

“We are pleased to have finally reached this agreement with DISH Network,” stated Todd Webster, spokesman for MASN. “DISH Network recognizes the huge appetite for Major League Baseball in the mid-Atlantic region and has stepped up to the plate for its customers.”

MASN, a 24/7 regional sports and entertainment television network, will feature up to 161 regular season Nationals telecasts and 162 regular season Orioles telecasts this season. Additionally, for the for the first time ever, the network is carrying 30-minute pre-game and post-game shows, providing fans unmatched access all season long. DISH Network customers who subscribe to America’s Top 100 Plus and higher or Dish Latino Dos and higher now have access to MASN on channel 432 and MASN2 on channel 433.

DISH Network subscribers will be able to enjoy this programming immediately and are invited to tune in at 6:30 E.T. this evening to either channel 432 to catch the Orioles at New York Yankees or channel 433 to see the Nationals host the Arizona Diamondbacks. For more baseball action this weekend and all season long, subscribers should visit www.masnsports.com for schedules.

DISH Network offers customers a wide variety of sports programming including the NFL Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Classic, NBA TV, The Speed Channel, The Golf Channel, and Regional Sports Networks.

New subscribers can sign up for DISH Network’s DishDVR Advantage, an all-inclusive TV package with more than 200 all-digital channels, local channels where available, a state-of-the-art DVR serving two TVs and free standard professional installation with no extra fees for one low price of $49.99 before promotions.

For more information about DISH Network call 1-800-333-DISH (3474), visit www.dishnetwork.com, or visit your local DISH Network retailer.

About the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network

MASN (www.masnsports.com) is the television home of the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, and the Official Cable Network of the Baltimore Ravens and Georgetown Hoyas basketball. MASN is the only Regional Sports Network in the country to carry more than 320 live Major League Baseball games. Because the network is owned by the Orioles and Nationals, it can offer fans unmatched access to the action on the field and the action behind the scenes.

About EchoStar Communications Corporation

EchoStar Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH) has been a leader for more than 26 years in satellite TV equipment sales and support worldwide. The Company’s DISH Network™ is the fastest-growing pay-TV provider in the country since 2000 and currently serves more than 13.1 million satellite TV customers. DISH Network offers a premier line of industry-leading Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) and hundreds of video and audio channels as well as the most national HD and International channels in the U.S., Interactive TV, Latino and sports programming. DISH Network also provides a variety of package and price options including the lowest all-digital price in America and the DishDVR Advantage Package. EchoStar is included in the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) and is a Fortune 300 company. Visit www.echostar.com or call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) for more information.