If you havent read, ESPN has come out and said that they will be aggressively bidding for the retransmission rights for the next available Olympics, which will be in 2016. Notice I didnt say TV rights. The battle for the Olympics rights will be in spreadsheet projections done by ESPN, NBC and probably DirecTV (my guess, not based on any info), that will have to take in to account what revenues can be generated on TV advertising (traditional and interactive), through cable/satellite subscription revenues, an ever increasing market size for mobile video and advertising, and of course audio/video and text advertising of all types.

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has closed public comments on a proposal from the Hollywood studios that would give content owners control over the recording capabilities of devices like digital video recorders, with service providers like AT&T (NYSE: T) and DirecTV (NYSE: DTV) weighing in in favor of the proposal, while groups including the Consumer Electronics Association, Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) opposed it.

New York - DirecTV (NYSE: DTV), the No. 1 satellite-TV provider in terms of subscribers, is testing its own version of an on-demand movies and television service that it plans to launch in the second quarter with some 3000 titles, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The new services will potentially put DirecTV’s satellite service in direct competition with on-demand services that so far only have been available on cable or newer phone-company TV services.

New York - DirecTV (NYSE: DTV), the nation's largest satellite TV service with over 16.6 million customers, announced on Thursday that it has partnered with audience measurement firm TNS Media Research, to develop what they say will be the largest U.S. national TV audience measurement panel ever created.

Tokyo - D&M Holdings, the Japan-based consumer electronics firm whose brands include Denon, Marantz and Boston Acoustics, announced on Thursday that it has sold most of the assets of its ReplayTV digital video recorder business to DirecTV Group (NASD: DTV). Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Los Angeles - The Championship Gaming Series announced on Tuesday that its inaugural World Final, which will feature a prize purse of $1 million, will be held Dec. 6-14 at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. The 12 top CS teams from around the world will compete for a top prize of $500,000 at the event, which will be broadcast by DirecTV in the U.S.; BSkyB and others in the U.K.; ESPN STAR Sports in Asia; Sky in Mexico and Brazil; and DirecTV throughout the rest of Latin America. Other broadcast partners for mainland Europe are also being secured.

Los Angeles - Sling Media, a provider of TV place-shifting technology that lets consumers access their premium home TV channels while on the go from Internet-connected devices, has partnered with DirecTV to make NFL game telecasts available to its users, PaidContent.org reported. The deal will allow streaming of NFL games each Sunday from DirecTV boxes through a Slingbox device to computers or other Internet-ready devices. DirecTV parent company Liberty Media's chairman John Malone is an investor in Sling Media. Sling also signed a deal to allow its users to stream NHL games in June.

Los Angeles - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) announced on Tuesday that it will launch its first high-definition channel this fall on the DirecTV satellite service. MGM HD will be the studio's first wholly-owned channel in the U.S.; the company did not detail additional deployments with other satellite or cable providers. MGM already offers some 20 different feeds of MGM channels outside the U.S., in nearly 120 countries.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV on Tuesday announced a promotional partnership with Vivendi's Blizzard Entertainment, publisher of the popular "World of Warcraft" massively multiplayer online roleplaying game. Through Nov. 30, new DirecTV subscribers will be offered 11 free months of access to World of Warcraft. DirecTV also recently courted game-playing consumers with its deal to broadcast the Championship Gaming Series.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV on Wednesday announced a partnership with Current Group to offer high-speed Internet and voice services over existing electric power lines to DirecTV subscribers.

Washington - Intelsat, a provider of satellite communications services, has put itself on the auction block, with major bidders including the team of EchoStar Communications and Liberty Media, according to various media reports.

New York - Time Warner's Home Box Office (HBO) cable network has announced plans to make all 26 of its HBO and Cinemax channels available in high-definition by the second quarter of 2008.

Kirkland, Wash. - Clearwire, the operator of a wireless, high-speed Internet access service, announced on Thursday that it has signed agreements with the nation's two satellite TV broadcasters -- DirecTV and EchoStar Communications, which operates the DISH Network -- that will enable the satellite firms to offer high-speed Internet access to their subscribers.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV said on Thursday that it will air events from the Championship Gaming Series, an international pro video game league, live and in high-definition when the season begins on July 9. The broadcaster had previously planned to air taped versions of the events. "If you can't catch a sporting event live, then it's not a true professional sport,” said DirecTV Entertainment executive vice president Eric Shanks. "We're giving the CGS the same star treatment as NFL Sunday Ticket and all of our innovative sports programming."

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV has announced plans to launch a range of new HD channels in the fall, and reconfirmed its plans to have up to 100 national HD channels by year's end. The company plans to launch six new HD channels from Discovery Communications, five from Starz, and other new offerings from The History Channel and A&E. DirecTV also plans to offer local HD channels in 75 U.S. markets by the end of 2007.

New York - Satellite TV provider DirecTV is considering testing technology that could deliver broadband Internet access to consumers' homes over existing power lines, CEO Chase Carey said at a media conference on Monday, Reuters reported.

El Segundo, Calif. - Satellite TV provider DirecTV on Thursday announced the retail launch of what it says is the world's first portable satellite TV system, DirecTV Sat-Go, which is available to DirecTV customers for $1,499. The briefcase-like device includes a 17-inch LCD monitor with integrated satellite receiver and a flat antenna, and when not in use on-the-go can be used as an additional in-home receiver.

Los Angeles - The Championship Gaming Series, a global professional video game league, announced on Friday that worldwide salaries and bonuses for its 2007 season will exceed $5 million. The league will begin qualifying rounds this weekend, with its first draft to be held at the Playboy Mansion on June 12. Titles selected for this season include "Counter-Strike: Source" and "FIFA 2007" for PC, and "Dead or Alive 4" and "Project Gotham Racing" for Xbox 360. League events will be broadcast in North America on DirecTV; in the U.K. on BSkyB; and by STAR in Asia and Australia.