DISH Hopper Jumps into the Daytona 500, Appears on FOX Despite Network Censorship of the Brand

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. --(Business Wire)--

DISH is hopping into Sunday's Daytona 500 race through its sponsorship of the Leavine Family Racing's No. 95 DISH Ford Fusion to be piloted by up-and-coming driver Scott Speed. Other than the Hopper logo, the car will be virtually ad-free, meaning consumers will see the DISH brand on FOX in spite of the network's ongoing refusal to air ads for DISH's consumer-friendly Hopper™ Whole-Home HD DVR.

DISH sponsors Leavine Family Racing's No. 95 Ford Fusion, driven by Scott Speed, at the Daytona 500. (Photo: Business Wire)

"The world of technology moves fast, but FOX keeps trying to wave a yellow flag and put consumers under caution, attempting to slow their access to the best in TV entertainment," said DISH President and CEO Joe Clayton. "The Hopper is in the pole position as the fastest in the consumer technology race. We are giving consumers what they want, when they want and where they want it. FOX is trying to hold up traffic. You can't stop the future."

As the Hopper, which was named a "Best of Show" among more than 20,000 products featured at the 2013 International CES (News - Alert), prepares to take to the speedway, FOX has made yet another attempt to slow down consumers' viewing experiences and ability to watch content in a manner that meets their preferences.

Late Thursday night, FOX Broadcasting's lawyers launched another attempt to block DISH from offering certain consumer-friendly features on the Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR, after months of unsuccessful attempts to thwart Hopper's AutoHop and PrimeTime Anytime features.

"Everybody skips commercials, and if FOX, CBS, ABC and NB think that's illegal, well I guess that makes us a nation of outlaws," continued Clayton. "We might as well make the No. 95 car the DISH fans' getaway car in what is sure to be an exciting race on Sunday!"

Fox also wants to prevent viewers from accessing the recorded television shows they have already paid for while on the road. For race fans, the Hopper is great for catching recorded race highlights and other coverage at the hotel after the race.

DISH is proud to sponsor up-and-coming driver Scott Speed at the Daytona 500. Speed is no stranger to racing and his diverse career in driving includes qualifying for the Formula One team in 2006. Speed became the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti in 1993. His recent success in qualifying for the Daytona 500 makes him a great contender for Sunday.

"I'm a big DISH fan and am excited to return to Daytona International Speedway Sunday with the Hopper riding shotgun," said Scott Speed. "Hopper is great for people like me -- we can record more programming and take our favorite shows with us."

To track Speed and the Hopper as they race around the track, follow @DISH and @scottspeed and search the hashtag #adfreetv, or visit http://www.facebook.com/ScottSpeed and http://www.facebook.com/DISH.

About DISH

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides approximately 14.056 million satellite TV customers, as of Dec. 31, 2012, with the highest quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value, including HD Free for Life. Subscribers enjoy the largest high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels, and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation's subsidiary, Blockbuster L.L.C., delivers family entertainment to millions of customers around the world. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.

About Leavine Family Racing

Leavine Family Racing (LFR), currently a two-team operation in the NASCAR Sprint (News - Alert) Cup Series and the ARCA Racing Series, is a Texas-based team - headquartered in Tyler, Texas. The racing team has an entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - the No. 95 car with driver Scott Speed, and the ARCA Racing Series - the No. 95 car with driver Michael Leavine. The team is owned by Bob and Sharon Leavine.

Leavine Family Racing began competing in NASCAR with four career-starts for the 2011 racing season in NASCAR's premier series with driver David Starr.

The team's shop is located in Concord, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway's turn two.

During the 2010 season, as an entry into NASCAR, Bob Leavine was a sponsor in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series