DIRECTV LatAM Offers Advertising Opportunities.

DIRECTV Latin America, LLC announced that it will now offer advertising opportunities on some of its DIRECTV channels, interactive applications, special programming events, and the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan broadcast.

This new venture will expand on DIRECTV LA’s advertising sales initiatives, which began in December of 2000 with the launch of DIRECTV Interactive, allowing companies to reach the DIRECTV consumer by positioning their brands on the interactive application screen. With the creation of the Advertising Sales department, DIRECTV LA will now offer companies the opportunity to position their products on channels carried by DIRECTV.

Interactive advertising opportunities will also be available on the different DIRECTV Interactive applications, allowing companies to interact directly with the consumer. DIRECTV LA will also offer companies the opportunity to reach their target audience during the broadcast of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan by providing advertising opportunities on its interactive applications, pre and post-game shows and game breaks. DIRECTV LA owns the broadcast rights for the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cup(TM) games for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela.

“Our research indicates that this advertising strategy is an untapped resource in Latin America. DIRECTV LA is now poised to take advantage of new revenue-generating opportunities and our current product offering is the perfect platform from which to launch this initiative,” said Consuelo Sanchez- Octavio, executive vice president, North Region and Interactive Services/New Products, who oversees the new DIRECTV LA Advertising Sales department. “DIRECTV’s array of services provides the advertiser with the perfect medium to reach a clearly defined target audience. Thanks to DIRECTV’s satellite technology, companies will be able to reach viewers in specific countries at a local level and also place advertising at a pan-regional level. No other service can take a company’s message to more than 1.6 million potential customers in 28 countries.”

As part of its commitment to this initiative, DIRECTV LA has named Joel W. Barradas, regional director of Advertising Sales for Latin America and the Caribbean. Barradas is also marketing director at Galaxy Entertainment Venezuela (GEV), which provides the DIRECTV service in that country. Before joining GEV he was vice president of International Accounts at Foote, Cone & Belding.