DirecTV to Air 'High School Musical 2' in HD

By Stephanie Robbins

DirecTV announced Tuesday it will exclusively broadcast Disney Channel’s “High School Musical 2” in high definition.

The movie will have three airings on Friday at 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and midnight ET on the satcaster’s original entertainment channel, The 101. It will be available only to DirecTV customers.

“Come this fall, we will offer more national HD channels than any other TV service provider, so it makes sense that DirecTV is the only place to see the HD premiere of this immensely successful pop culture phenomenon,” Eric Shanks, executive VP of DirecTV Entertainment, said in a statement.

Between the three airings, The 101 will feature additional Disney Channel programming, including a sneak peek at the animated comedy series “Phineas and Ferb” and “High School Musical: The Concert” as well as a selection of the channel’s short-form programming.

“High School Musical 2” was the most-watched cable telecast ever, bringing in 17.2 million viewers during its premiere on the Disney Channel Aug. 17. The original “High School Musical” premiered on Disney Channel in January 2006 and has been seen by more than 200 million people worldwide, DirecTV said.

DirecTV is set to launch Disney Channel HD, a simulcast of the original channel, in early 2008.