Following its transmission of the first NBA All Star game telecast in HDTV last Sunday, DIRECTV, has just announced it will offer several live NBA games in HDTV, beginning this weekend Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9:30 p.m. ET. with the New York Knicks at Los Angeles Lakers game. The HDTV broadcast is part of expanded programming on NBA TV. DIRECTV will carry the games, at no charge for its HDTV-equipped customers, on DIRECTV channel 198. The games in HDTV are part of an expanded series of weekly live NBA games and new original programming on NBA TV.

The 2003 NBA All-Star Game will be broadcast in HDTV as a joint production of TNT and NBA TV, this is the first time the NBA All-Star game will be shown in HDTV. The weekend telecasts will be available on DIRECTV channel 198 at no charge and will begin Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. (ET) with the NBA All-Star Saturday Night activities presented by America Online. Events include: Jeep All-Star Hoop It Up, 1-800-CALL-ATT Shootout three-point competition, 989 Sports Skills Challenge, and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk.

The rumor at CES was that Dish Network was in negotiation to acquire the 24 hour HDTV network HDNet to add to its roster of HDTV channels available in HDTV. HDNet currently broadcasts live sporting events, feature films, concerts and documentary programming in 1080i HDTV on DIRECTV. Marc Cuban, HDNet’s founder, expressed interest in inking a deal with Dish Network but said the ball was in Dish Network’s court. Dish Network didn’t return calls asking for comment. More HD buzz from CES has the 24 hour Discovery HD channel coming to DIRECTV in coming months. Discovery HD representatives at their CES booth said that they are in negotiations but no deal was in place yet.

ESPN President, George Bodenheimer, announced plans to provide a high-definition simulcast service of its premier network, ESPN to be launched March 30, 2003. ESPN HD will include 100 live telecasts in its first year featuring Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League -- produced and distributed in high-definition HDTV. The resolution on ESPN HDTV will be 720p like parent company ABC. Where can you see ESPN in HDTV? This is no answer yet as ESPN is currently in negotiations with Cable and Satalite providers. "ESPN is making a significant commitment to spur the growth of high-definition television," said Bodenheimer. "Sports will be a key driver of HDTV, and it is only fitting, that ESPN plays a leadership role in serving our fans, affiliates, advertisers and rights holders in advancing the adoption of digital technology."

TV and AV industry experts say sports is the “killer application” for HDTV therefore CBS has teamed up with RCA to cover both the AFC Divisional Playoff Games on January 11 and 12, 2003 as well as the AFC championship game in January 19, 2003 in HDTV.