JLTV Announces First-Ever Global Broadcast of Maccabiah Games

LOS ANGELES -

- World’s First 24-Hour Jewish-Themed TV Channel Makes History

JLTV becomes the world’s first 24-hour Jewish-themed television channel when it expands globally to over 100 million homes on July 12th, adding Hot Bird satellite coverage across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East to its American distribution. Concurrent with its global expansion, JLTV will broadcast the 18th Maccabiah Games, from July 12-23, as part of its special sports programming. This marks the first broadcast to audiences outside of Israel.

Known as the “Jewish Olympics,” the Maccabiah Games are held every four years in Israel and attract outstanding Jewish athletes from around the world. More than 8,000 athletes from over 50 countries compete, making the Games the world’s third largest sporting event.

“The Maccabiah Games are an incredible cultural experience, with global athletes uniting in Israel for the common interest of sports,” stated JLTV president and CEO Phil Blazer. “As the first worldwide Jewish network, it is our hope that audiences everywhere will celebrate the feats of Jewish athletes.”

JLTV’s schedule of the Games includes a three-hour pre-special Sunday, July 12 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. (EDT), with two repeats. The four-hour opening ceremony will broadcast Monday, July 13 from 6:00-10:00 pm (EDT), with additional repeats. The Maccabiah coverage will continue through July 24 with game highlights, athlete interviews and human interest stories.

JLTV’s coverage of the Maccabiah Games will be anchored by Olympic gold medalist Mitch Gaylord, the first American gymnast to score a perfect “10.” “Winning the gold in the 1984 Olympics was certainly the ultimate, but I’ve always looked back at my participation in the Maccabiah Games as one of the highlights of my gymnastics career,” stated Gaylord.

About JLTV

JLTV (Jewish Life Television) is the world’s first full-time television network delivering Jewish-themed programming. Launched in 2007, the network offers a full breadth of news, sports, lifestyle and entertainment programming. In addition to carriage via Time Warner Cable, DirecTV and local TV stations across the U.S., JLTV may be seen in more than 100 million homes globally with its July 12 launch on Hot Bird, a family of satellites broadcasting across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Hot Bird location: Frequency: 11200. Polarity: Vertical. Symbol Rate: 27500. FEC Rate: 5/6

Source: JLTV

Lisa Kussell, +1-212-901-3930, lisa.kussell at bwr-ny.com, or Steven Wilson, +1-310-248-6163, swilson at bwr-la.com, both of B|W|R Public Relations