Email sent by U.S. Figure Skating to its members on March 16, 2010


Dear U.S. Figure Skating Member:

Do you want to see more figure skating coverage on TV?

NBC Universal has partnered with the ISU and plans to carry coverage of several international figure skating events, including the World Championships, on Universal Sports. For those of you with DIRECTV, regardless of where you live, this means you will not have access to these world-class events. U.S. Figure Skating is writing to get our community of athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, fans and supporters to participate in a campaign targeting DIRECTV.

DIRECTV has taken a proactive stance in response to this initiative and has set up an e-mail address (universalsports@directv.com) for you to let DIRECTV know of the strong interest that exists in having Universal Sports added to their regular line-up of channels. Universal Sports is having discussions with DIRECTV later this week, so now is the time to take action and show your support.

Here is some background on DIRECTV, how many people are impacted and what you can do to make a difference:

Reaching more than 18 million households, DIRECTV is the leader in U.S. satellite television delivery. As such, it is a natural platform for the Olympic and elite-level athletes, including figure skaters, showcased throughout the year by Universal Sports. DIRECTV is the often the service of choice for the totally immersed sports enthusiast. As of now, Universal Sports – and its figure skating coverage – is not available through DIRECTV.

By communicating directly with DIRECTV, the millions of Americans who love figure skating can assist Universal Sports in a unified effort to expand the broadcast reach of the extensive calendar of figure skating events planned for 2010 and beyond. This increased distribution will provide broad exposure for the current and soon-to-be figure skating stars competing in these events and will help grow awareness and interest in the sport.

If you are a DIRECTV subscriber, or just a figure skating fan looking to help grow the sport, we encourage you to e-mail DIRECTV (universalsports@directv.com). You also can help our initiative by becoming a Twitter follower (www.twitter.com/theDTV) or Facebook fan of DIRECTV (www.facebook.com/directv) and sharing your personal message about why adding Universal Sports to DIRECTV’s system would be important to you. Additionally, we encourage you to share this message with friends, family, neighbors, etc., so that they can also support this cause.

If you are not exactly sure what to say but are interested in e-mailing DIRECTV regarding this issue, below is an example of what you could write. (This is only a guideline, and we encourage you to draft your own personal note and include what makes this issue important to you).

"The best-trained and most finely tuned athletes in my sport, figure skating, prepare and compete 365 days every year, not just at the Olympic Games every four years. Some of the premier events and athletes are showcased on the Universal Sports Television Network, but DIRECTV does not currently offer this network on their system. By adding Universal Sports, the network that chronicles how these exceptional athletes become great champions, you will afford viewers of DIRECTV a window to some of the most inspiring competitors of this era. DIRECTV viewers deserve an opportunity to experience the broad appeal of Universal Sports Television Network, where Olympic and World champions are showcased and celebrated every day."

Although Universal Sports still will not reach every home in America even with a successful campaign to grow the audience via DIRECTV, this will be a positive step toward broader distribution and increased access to skating for fans across the country. The potential for Universal Sports’ growth starts with your efforts, and together we can make a difference and bring figure skating into more homes every day.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

U.S. Figure Skating

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