Widget Enables Fans to Keep Up to Date With All the Action and Key Developments This Baseball Season
NEW YORK – April 1, 2010 – With the start of the baseball season just a few days away, Verizon FiOS TV is providing a free widget that will enhance the viewing experience for baseball fans by enabling them to stay abreast of all the action and key developments, through the playoffs and World Series.
The Baseball Widget, available in most markets, will provide instant access to headline news, scores, league standings, player updates and game-time alerts. In addition, the widget lets fans use their remote control to order Major League Baseball Extra Innings, the premium subscription package offering up to 80 out-of-market regular season games per week, including up to 20 in high definition.
Verizon is also offering customers a free preview of MLB Extra Innings, from April 5 through April 11, on channels 1474-1488.
“FiOS TV is a baseball fan’s seat behind home plate,” said Shawn Strickland, vice president of consumer strategy for Verizon. “In addition to top baseball programming with MLB Extra Innings and the MLB Network, our latest sports widget provides fans with stats and news from around the league – giving our customers a rich, enhanced baseball experience from the comfort of their home.”
The Baseball Widget is located in the FiOS TV’s Widget Bazaar applications marketplace. Once launched, the sports application is displayed on the right side of the screen next to the program the subscriber is watching.
(For screenshots and a full description of Verizon’s new baseball widget, visit http://verizon.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=37341.)
Customers who subscribe to the MLB Extra Innings package can also use the unique on-screen alerts feature. Alerts can be enabled and disabled through the main baseball widget menu.
MLB Network, the 24-hour digital television network, airs live games, original programming, highlights, classic games and coverage of baseball events. The network offers baseball fans an all-access channel, delivering everything from breaking news and standings to classic games. It is available at no additional charge as part of FiOS TV’s Extreme HD and Ultimate packages, together with ESPN HD, NFL Network HD and other popular sports programming. The MLB Extra Innings package is available for $199 for the entire season, or for a discounted price of $179 if customers choose to sign up for the early bird special from now until April 11.
