Extreme Sports Channel
| Extreme Sports Channel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Launched | 1999 |
| Owned by |
EXTREME (Owner of the EXTREME brand) AMC Networks International (Channel operator) |
| Website | EXTREME.comThe Brand |
Availability | |
| Satellite | |
| Sky UK & Ireland | Channel 419 |
| Sky Italy | Channel 218 (HD) |
| PAS 10 | 12.682 GHz H |
| Digiturk Turkey | Channel 83 |
| CanalDigitaal Netherlands | Channel 36 |
| Dolce Romania | Channel 305 |
| Focus Sat Romania | Channel ? |
| Akta TV Romania | Channel ? |
| TV Vlaanderen Digitaal Flanders | Channel 31 |
| Orbit Network Middle East | Channel 56 |
| OTE TV Greece | Channel 308 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media UK | Channel 527 |
| UPC Ireland | Channel 422 |
| UPC Romania |
Digital with DVR Channel 208 Standard Digital Channel 78 |
| MC Cable Monaco | Channel ??? |
| Ziggo Netherlands | Channel 412 |
| UPC Austria | Channel 306 |
| UPC Switzerland | Channel 172 (digital CH-D) |
| naxoo Switzerland | Channel 234 |
| UPC Poland | Channel 571 |
| WightFibre UK | Channel 118 |
| IPTV | |
| Movistar TV Spain | Channel 102 |
| KPN Netherlands | Channel 204 |
| MaxTV Croatia | Channel 408 |
| Streaming media | |
| Horizon |
Horizon.tv (Netherlands only) Horizon.tv (Ireland only) |
| Virgin TV Anywhere | Watch live (UK only) |
The Extreme Sports Channel (ESC) is a cable, satellite and internet TV channel that launched from Amsterdam on May 1, 1999 with a massive launch party.[1] Founded by Alistair Gosling, the channel delivers the extreme sports lifestyle which include surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, BMX, FMX, music, art and fashion to millions of fans 24/7 365 days a year in over 60 countries and 12 languages.[2]
History
In 1997 Al Gosling, an ambassador for Extreme sports and founder of the Extreme Sports TV distribution and production company Extreme, realised that this massive part of youth culture had been ignored by mainstream media and realised there were millions of people who would want a channel about these sports and the lifestyle and went out to fill the gap in the market, and provide a channel for this 'undeserved community'. It took him a year of hunting for investment before finding UPCtv, the programming arm of Europe's largest cable television operator UPC.
In April 1998, seeking new channels to offer their subscribers UPCtv's Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Cohen, approached Ben Barret at the MIP programming market in Cannes, France, with a proposal for a joint venture between the two companies. Gosling then drove the negotiations, and with the help from his management team: MD and shareholder Juanjo Márquez , Legal Director Adam Oliver; Head of Sales Ben Barrett, and programming Manager Andy Warkman, the brand was launched in May 1999 from Amsterdam, Holland.
In 1999, The Extreme launched its United States operations, and charged veteran producer, Lloyd Bryan Adams with the task of heading up the North American presence. They launched EX TV, a branded block on Fox Sports Net in March 2002.
In 2009, after successfully launching the channel in over sixty countries, Al Gosling's Extreme Sports Company acquired full ownership of the EXTREME brand and sold its stake in the operating channel business for an undisclosed sum to John Malone's Liberty Global Inc. which had by then became owners of UPC.[3] Since this acquisition Extreme Raised funds from kleinwort Benson and has become a pioneering brand management and licensing company focused growing the fans and building the brand beyond TV by forming licensing partnerships with companies that want to drive their growth by delivering EXTREME branded consumer products, services and experiences for the fans who are passionate about the brand, the sports, the music and the lifestyle. To date electronics; destinations, hotels, fashion,[4] video gaming, publishing, drinks [5] have launched or are launching during 2013 and 2014 in multiple territories.
Demand for these products and services comes from the brand awareness from the channel and marketing that is carried out which include: 78 ambassadors,[6] 43 events,[7] social media activation 5acebook.com/Extreme fans, the consumer insights and the trend led creative assets.
Coverage
ESC broadcasts to over 60 countries with 12 different language soundtracks, and is generally available on digital cable as well as on many digital satellite packages, including UPC Direct in the Czech Republic, Cyfra+ and Cyfrowy Polsat in Poland, Kabel Deutschland in Germany and Canal Digital in Norway and in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Levant territories broadcasting via satellite, exclusively from the OSN pay-TV network.
Content from the channel is also narrowcast on Cabvision installed in London Black cabs. The UK version of the channel was free-to-air from launch in 2001 until Summer 2006, when a deal with BSkyB meant that it became encrypted.
ESC's on-air broadcast transmissions are handled by Chellomedia's playout and post-production facility (the Digital Media centre) in Amsterdam..
On 28 September 2011 the channel began broadcasting in widescreen (16:9) format.
On 1 February 2012 the high-definition version of the channel began broadcasting in Italy.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/may/30/observerbusiness.theobserver5
- ↑ http://www.surfersvillage.com/news
- ↑ http://thebln.com/2011/05/al-gosling-founder-the-extreme-sports-company-i-should-have-done-more-research/
- ↑ http://www.licensemag.com/license-global/extreme-signs-apparel-partners
- ↑ http://www.ltwmag.com/news/latest_news/the_extreme_sports_company_powers_into_youth_licensing_business_with_new_energy_drinks.aspx
- ↑ http://www.extremesportscompany.com/extreme-all-athletes.html
- ↑ http://www.extremesportscompany.com/extreme-events.html
- ↑ http://realscreen.com/2012/01/26/extreme-sports-channel-enters-the-italian-market/
External links
- The Extreme Sports Channel Website
- Extreme International Website - Owners of the EXTREME brand
- Extreme Hotels Website
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