SIRIUS TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE BLUE COLLAR COMEDY CHANNEL
Blue Collar brand expands to satellite radio with SIRIUS
SIRIUS Channel builds on Blue Collar’s blockbuster performance in movies, CDs, TV, DVDs, concerts and books
NEW YORK – February 1, 2006 - SIRIUS Satellite Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) and Parallel Entertainment today announced the launch of Blue Collar Comedy, a new channel on SIRIUS, featuring the Blue Collar Comedy comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bill Engvall, as well as many others.
The new Blue Collar Comedy channel, jointly produced and programmed by Parallel Entertainment and SIRIUS, is expected to begin airing in mid-to-late March on SIRIUS channel 103. This date coincides with production on the latest film starring the Blue Collar comedians, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road. The film is based on a series of performances at The Warner Theater in Washington DC.
In addition, SIRIUS and Parallel will program a block of Blue Collar Comedy for SIRIUS’ Truckers, channel 147. As part of the relationship, Blue Collar Comedy on SIRIUS will be heavily promoted on the front of CDs and DVDs, at Blue Collar comedian performances, as well as on the home pages of comedians’ web sites and through mailings to their fans.
Blue Collar Comedy has achieved enormous success across movies, tours, CDs, TV programming, and books, playing to sold-out audiences, generating blockbusters sales, and producing record audience ratings. The original Blue Collar Comedy Tour grossed more than $15 million. Blue Collar Comedy Tour, The Movie, was the highest rated movie in Comedy Central’s history at the time and the DVD has sold more than 4 million units. The second movie, Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again, was the 3rd highest rated show in Comedy Central’s history and the DVD has sold more than 3 million units.
“Blue Collar Comedy joins an unmatched group of leading brands that have chosen SIRIUS to enter satellite radio,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS President of Sports and Entertainment. “SIRIUS will bring Blue Collar’s original brand of humor to millions of fans, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities, any place in the country.”
“Blue Collar Comedy is an attitude, a point-of-view style of comedy that appeals to everyone. SIRIUS has reintroduced some of the greatest comedians of all time to new audiences, and with Blue Collar Comedy will open up new generations to this popular style of comic expression,” said J.P. Williams, CEO of Parallel Entertainment. “Parallel is thrilled to become part of a strong comedy lineup on SIRIUS.”
Recently, Parallel completed its third feature length project, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, for theatrical release in 2006.
About SIRIUS
SIRIUS delivers more than 125 channels of the best commercial-free music, compelling talk shows, news and information, and the most extensive sports programming to listeners across the country in digital quality sound. SIRIUS offers 68 channels of 100% commercial-free music, and features over 55 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NBA and NHL and broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL, NBA and NHL.
SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are distributed by Alpine, Audiovox, Brix Group, Clarion, Delphi, Directed Electronics, Eclipse, Jensen, JVC, Kenwood, Magnadyne, Monster Cable, Pioneer, Russound, Tivoli and XACT Communications. Available in more than 25,000 retail locations, SIRIUS radios can be purchased at major retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com.
SIRIUS radios are currently offered in vehicles from Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep?, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Scion, Toyota, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo. Hertz currently offers SIRIUS at major locations around the country.
Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to find a SIRIUS retailer or car dealer in your area.
Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance with respect to SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and, accordingly, such statements involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, any such statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the key factors that have a direct bearing on our operational results are: our dependence upon third parties, including manufacturers of SIRIUS radios, retailers, automakers and programming partners, our competitive position and any events which affect the useful life of our satellites.
About PARALLEL
Founded in 1991 by CEO J.P. Williams, Parallel Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based talent management and production company. Parallel develops, finances and produces a wide range of entertainment projects, including feature films; DVD premiere features; comedy albums; and television series and specials for network and cable.
Williams and Parallel manage the careers of numerous comedians, including Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, David Koechner, Kathleen Madigan, Ralphie May, Iris Bahr, Lisa Lampanelli and P.J. Walsh, among others. Williams developed and produced the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a touring comedy “concert” featuring Foxworthy, Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, in 2000. The tour lasted for three years, played in over 90 cities, and grossed more than 15 million dollars.
Parallel’s filmed entertainment productions include several one hour specials for Comedy Central and HBO; the WB comedy series “Blue Collar TV,” and several motion pictures, including “Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie,” which sold more than 4 million DVD’s following a limited theatrical release; “Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again,” which sold more than 3 million DVD’s; and “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector,” for theatrical release in mid-2006. Two additional motion pictures are slated for production in 2006, including “Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road,” and
“Baitshop,” a starring vehicle for Bill Engvall.
Williams, who has produced 18 comedy albums, four of which received Grammy nominations, founded the comedy label Jack Records, as a co-venture with Warner Bros. Records
Blue Collar brand expands to satellite radio with SIRIUS
SIRIUS Channel builds on Blue Collar’s blockbuster performance in movies, CDs, TV, DVDs, concerts and books
The new Blue Collar Comedy channel, jointly produced and programmed by Parallel Entertainment and SIRIUS, is expected to begin airing in mid-to-late March on SIRIUS channel 103. This date coincides with production on the latest film starring the Blue Collar comedians, Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road. The film is based on a series of performances at The Warner Theater in Washington DC.
In addition, SIRIUS and Parallel will program a block of Blue Collar Comedy for SIRIUS’ Truckers, channel 147. As part of the relationship, Blue Collar Comedy on SIRIUS will be heavily promoted on the front of CDs and DVDs, at Blue Collar comedian performances, as well as on the home pages of comedians’ web sites and through mailings to their fans.
Blue Collar Comedy has achieved enormous success across movies, tours, CDs, TV programming, and books, playing to sold-out audiences, generating blockbusters sales, and producing record audience ratings. The original Blue Collar Comedy Tour grossed more than $15 million. Blue Collar Comedy Tour, The Movie, was the highest rated movie in Comedy Central’s history at the time and the DVD has sold more than 4 million units. The second movie, Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again, was the 3rd highest rated show in Comedy Central’s history and the DVD has sold more than 3 million units.
“Blue Collar Comedy joins an unmatched group of leading brands that have chosen SIRIUS to enter satellite radio,” said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS President of Sports and Entertainment. “SIRIUS will bring Blue Collar’s original brand of humor to millions of fans, from the smallest towns to the biggest cities, any place in the country.”
“Blue Collar Comedy is an attitude, a point-of-view style of comedy that appeals to everyone. SIRIUS has reintroduced some of the greatest comedians of all time to new audiences, and with Blue Collar Comedy will open up new generations to this popular style of comic expression,” said J.P. Williams, CEO of Parallel Entertainment. “Parallel is thrilled to become part of a strong comedy lineup on SIRIUS.”
Recently, Parallel completed its third feature length project, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, for theatrical release in 2006.
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SIRIUS delivers more than 125 channels of the best commercial-free music, compelling talk shows, news and information, and the most extensive sports programming to listeners across the country in digital quality sound. SIRIUS offers 68 channels of 100% commercial-free music, and features over 55 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather for a monthly subscription fee of only $12.95. SIRIUS is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, NBA and NHL and broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL, NBA and NHL.
SIRIUS products for the car, truck, home, RV and boat are distributed by Alpine, Audiovox, Brix Group, Clarion, Delphi, Directed Electronics, Eclipse, Jensen, JVC, Kenwood, Magnadyne, Monster Cable, Pioneer, Russound, Tivoli and XACT Communications. Available in more than 25,000 retail locations, SIRIUS radios can be purchased at major retailers including Best Buy, Circuit City, Crutchfield, Costco, Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, RadioShack and at shop.sirius.com.
SIRIUS radios are currently offered in vehicles from Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep?, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln-Mercury, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Scion, Toyota, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo. Hertz currently offers SIRIUS at major locations around the country.
Click on www.sirius.com to listen to SIRIUS live, or to find a SIRIUS retailer or car dealer in your area.
About PARALLEL
Founded in 1991 by CEO J.P. Williams, Parallel Entertainment is a Los Angeles-based talent management and production company. Parallel develops, finances and produces a wide range of entertainment projects, including feature films; DVD premiere features; comedy albums; and television series and specials for network and cable.
Williams and Parallel manage the careers of numerous comedians, including Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, David Koechner, Kathleen Madigan, Ralphie May, Iris Bahr, Lisa Lampanelli and P.J. Walsh, among others. Williams developed and produced the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a touring comedy “concert” featuring Foxworthy, Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron White, in 2000. The tour lasted for three years, played in over 90 cities, and grossed more than 15 million dollars.
Parallel’s filmed entertainment productions include several one hour specials for Comedy Central and HBO; the WB comedy series “Blue Collar TV,” and several motion pictures, including “Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie,” which sold more than 4 million DVD’s following a limited theatrical release; “Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again,” which sold more than 3 million DVD’s; and “Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector,” for theatrical release in mid-2006. Two additional motion pictures are slated for production in 2006, including “Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road,” and
“Baitshop,” a starring vehicle for Bill Engvall.
Williams, who has produced 18 comedy albums, four of which received Grammy nominations, founded the comedy label Jack Records, as a co-venture with Warner Bros. Records
