OpenTV is claiming a key industry first in the interactive shopping arena in the United States. The company announced that it built the first interactive television shopping application for EchoStar Communication Corp.’s Dish Network direct-to-home satellite television service, which was announced last week by EchoStar. The channel offers viewers the ability to purchase items from Sharper Image.

Joel Hassell, OpenTV’s senior vice president & general manager North American satellite division, commented, “We are delighted to once again partner with Dish Network to develop innovative industry-first interactive television applications. The Sharper Image interactive shopping channel is further evidence of our expertise in developing robust technologies and applications that our customers can deploy to enhance revenue-generating services and viewer experiences.”

For more on what this new interactive service means to the U.S. satellite television market please see the Feb. 7 issue of Satellite News. For more on information on subscribing to Access Intelligence’s satellite industry information products and services, please visit us on the Web at https://www.satellitetoday.com.