Blockbuster Casts Melissa Rivers to Celebrate the 2013 Academy Awards with the Blockbuster Awards Night “Fan”-tasy Movie League

ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Popular reality TV star, host and producer Melissa Rivers is inviting 2013 Academy Awards® fans the world over to join her online Awards Night league at BlockbusterAwards.com®. BLOCKBUSTER^®’s interactive website is designed for people to host, manage and participate in a fantasy league celebrating the Academy Awards. Rivers will share her favorite picks for the night and host her own pool on BlockbusterAwards.com, which consumers can join and compete with one another by submitting their own ballots.

“What better way to celebrate the Academy Awards than with a friendly online competition”

“What better way to celebrate the Academy Awards than with a friendly online competition,” Rivers says. “Let’s see what you’ve got – I invite you to join my Blockbuster Awards Night Fan-tasy Movie League pool and compete with me, my friends and family. We’ll be making a whole night out of the show on February 24, with everyone gathered for a viewing party to watch the red carpet arrivals and then tracking our ballot results live on BlockbusterAwards.com. It’ll be a fun night to remember – with plenty of red carpet mishaps and memorable acceptance speeches, I’m sure!”

Users of BlockbusterAwards.com can:

Set up leagues to predict Academy Award winners and invite guests to participate.
Join leagues hosted by others – such as Melissa Rivers – to see how they stack up against their neighbors.
Watch a robust collection of trailers and bios on all nominees.

“Melissa Rivers has her finger on the pop culture pulse,” says Mitch Weinraub, Blockbuster vice president of product marketing. “She’s interviewed Academy Awards nominees on red carpets over the years and launched a successful show around all things celebrities, fashion and trends. As a mother and daughter, Melissa also celebrates family during these special Hollywood moments. BlockbusterAwards.com is a great way to participate in the Academy Awards fun this year and adds to the social experience that brings people together to enjoy special pop culture events.”

During the live broadcast of the event, BlockbusterAwards.com will update with real-time stats based on individual picks and pools. Participants can track their results from their home computer, iPhone, iPad or Android device. Follow along for the results of Melissa Rivers’ celebrity pool and enjoy the friendly competition and reveal of the night’s big winners.

Visit www.BlockbusterAwards.com to sign up and join or host a league. The Blockbuster Awards Night Ballot is free to anyone who wishes to participate; a pre-existing Blockbuster account is not required.

About Blockbuster

Blockbuster L.L.C., a subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), is a leader in the movie and game industry in digital and disc rentals and sales. Blockbuster provides convenient access to family entertainment through a variety of channels – by mail via www.blockbuster.com, in nearly 800 stores across the U.S., via digital movie downloads using a PC, Blu-ray player, connected TV or portable device and via Blockbuster@Home through DISH – making it easy and convenient to access family entertainment. Stores offer a variety of memberships for every type of movie lover, as well as games for all major gaming devices, including Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox and Xbox 360. Focused on ease and convenience, it is no wonder that Blockbuster serves millions of customers nationally and internationally. Visit www.blockbuster.com.

About DISH

DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), through its subsidiary DISH Network L.L.C., provides approximately 14.042 million satellite TV customers, as of Sept. 30, 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.