Verizon Adds More Sports Programming to FiOS1, Its Local TV Channel, and On-Demand Lineup

WASHINGTON - Like sports fans everywhere, Washington metro fans want more sports on TV - and Verizon plans to deliver.  Starting this fall, local fans will have more ways to watch their favorite professional, college and high school teams when FiOS1, Verizon's local TV channel, adds new programming to its sports lineup.

FiOS1, which currently telecasts Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals games provided by the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), will now carry a variety of pro and college games from Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic's CSN+ channel.  FiOS1 will also produce and air local high school football games to complement its current seasonal coverage of high school and college lacrosse games from Georgetown and George Mason universities.

"We are excited to deliver even more game time on FiOS1, which is channel No. 1 on Verizon FiOS TV," said Michelle Webb, FiOS1 executive producer and general manager.  "We're committed to offering our viewers the best in local sports action."

The 32-game CSN+ schedule kicks off with the Major League Soccer matchup between D.C. United and the Kansas City Wizards on Oct. 5 at 8 p.m.  Other telecasts in October will feature the University of Virginia and Middle Tennessee State University in college football action, Oct. 6; the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals at Buffalo, Oct. 13; Virginia and Virginia Tech women's soccer, Oct. 18; and D.C. United vs. the Columbus Crew, Oct. 20.

From October through March, FiOS1 will feature the Capitals and the National Basketball Association's Washington Wizards.  With the addition of games from CSN+, FiOS1 will now offer 12 months of professional sports including the more than 100 Orioles and Nationals baseball games provided by MASN.

High school football will be the focus on Monday nights, as FiOS1 launches the High School Game of the Week on Oct. 8 with replays airing throughout the week.  FiOS1 will produce and air games played the previous week, including five regular-season games and the district, regional and Virginia state championship games.  Matchups include Oakton at Chantilly, Oct. 8; W.T. Woodson at Madison, Oct. 15; Oakton at Robinson (homecoming), Oct. 22; and Westfield at Oakton (senior night), Oct. 29.

FiOS1 also will launch a local sports video-on-demand package that will feature the best games of the season.  The package, which will be offered at no extra charge to Verizon FiOS TV video-on-demand customers in the Washington metro area, will include the college and high-school lacrosse games that aired on FiOS1 during the spring 2007 season.

FiOS1, Verizon's first local TV channel in the United States, delivers Washington metro weather, traffic, sports and community features.  FiOS1 is on Channel 1 in the Verizon FiOS TV channel lineup and is available at no extra cost to Verizon FiOS TV customers in Northern Virginia and parts of Maryland.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a leader in delivering broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving more than 62 million customers nationwide.  Verizon's Wireline operations include Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world, and Verizon Telecom, which brings customers the benefits of converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation's most advanced fiber-optic network.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon has a diverse workforce of more than 238,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $88 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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