NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- JetBlue Airways Corporation (Nasdaq:JBLU), the first major U.S. airline to provide free, live television and personal seatback screens on all aircraft, today announces exclusive enhancements to its DIRECTV(r) programming channel lineup that include the addition of four Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.) channels and the Big Ten Network.
The new channel lineup, including Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TNT, from TBS, Inc. as well as ESPNU, is available to customers on all flights beginning this month. ESPNU features extensive college sports programming and exclusive live event coverage from more than 20 Division I conferences, and showcases NCAA championship coverage and sports from each of the three collegiate seasons, as well as encore presentations from ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Regional Television college sports programming.
"The new programming gives our customers more choice in their entertainment options, and keeps the JetBlue Experience always fresh and exciting," said Brett Muney, JetBlue's Manager of Product Development. "With the most live entertainment options in the skies today, award-winning customer service and the most legroom in coach, JetBlue makes the trip as enjoyable as the destination."
"We want JetBlue customers to have the best entertainment experience in the air and we believe the addition of these popular channels to the DIRECV lineup will provide that," said Toby Berlin, vice president, Programming Acquisitions, DIRECTV, Inc. "The new channels offer a good balance of family, sports and news programming that will engage, entertain and inform JetBlue customers."
In addition to these changes to the 36-channel lineup, JetBlue customers can also tune-in to exclusive bonus channels, including:
* Ch 37: On Saturdays, JetBlue sports fans enjoy live, 24-hour coverage of premier European and international soccer and rugby matches from Setanta Sports North America. * Ch 38-40: On flights longer than two hours, JetBlue offers a rotating selection of pay-per-view options from FOX InFlight. * Ch 41: "Times On Air"(, a new in-flight video magazine of unique content from The New York Times' TimesTalks events -- its signature discussion series featuring journalists in conversation with today's newsmakers and cultural leaders.
JetBlue's full channel lineup includes:
Ch 1: ESPN Ch 20: FX Ch 2: ESPN 2 Ch 21: SciFi Ch 3: ESPNews Ch 22: A&E Ch 4: ESPNU Ch 23: History Channel Ch 5: Big Ten Network Ch 24: National Geographic Channel Ch 6: CBS Ch 25: Discovery Channel Ch 7: NBC Ch 26: TLC Ch 8: FOX Ch 27: Food Network Ch 9: MSNBC/CNBC Ch 28: Travel Channel Ch 10: FOX News Ch 29: HGTV Ch 11: CNN Ch 30: Animal Planet Ch 12: BBC America Ch 31: Cartoon Network Ch 13: Google Maps Ch 32: Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite Ch 14: The Weather Channel Ch 33: TV Land Ch 15: TBS Ch 34: MTV Ch 16: TNT Ch 35: VH1 Ch 17: Comedy Central Ch 36: VH1 Classic Ch 18: USA Ch 37: The 101 - DIRECTV's original Ch 19: Bravo entertainment channel
New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers the most legroom throughout coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for U.S. airlines). JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 53 cities with up to 550 daily flights. New service to St. Maarten and Puerto Plata begins in January 2008. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JETBLUE (1-800-538-2583) or visit www.jetblue.com.
JetBlue's 36 channels of DIRECTV(r) service are not available on flights outside the continental United States; however, where applicable, FOX InFlight(tm) is offered complimentary on these routes. FOX InFlight(tm) is a trademark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. JetBlue's in-flight entertainment is powered by LiveTV, a wholly owned subsidiary of JetBlue.
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This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature which represent our management's beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and are based on information currently available to us. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to many factors, including, without limitation, our extremely competitive industry; increases in fuel prices, maintenance costs and interest rates; our ability to implement our growth strategy, including the ability to operate reliably the EMBRAER 190 aircraft; our significant fixed obligations; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and maintain our culture as we grow; our reliance on high daily aircraft utilization; our dependence on the New York metropolitan market; our reliance on automated systems and technology; our being subject to potential unionization; our reliance on a limited number of suppliers; changes in or additional government regulation; changes in our industry due to other airlines' financial condition; and external geopolitical events and conditions. Further information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to, the Company's 2006 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.