Extreme Sports Channel
| Extreme Sports Channel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 1999 |
| Owned by | EXTREME (Owner of the EXTREME brand) AMC Networks International (Channel operator) |
| Audience share | UK: 0.01% (September 2015, BARB) |
| Sister channel(s) | AMC CBS Action CBS Europa CBS Drama CBS Reality Horror Channel |
| Website | EXTREME.comThe Brand |
|
Availability
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| Satellite | |
| 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 |
| OTE TV (Greece) | Channel 308 |
| Cable | |
| UPC (Romania) | Digital with DVR Channel 208 Standard Digital Channel 78 |
| RCS&RDS (Romania) | Channel 49 |
| Ziggo (Netherlands) | Channel 412 |
| MC Cable (Monaco) | Channel ??? |
| UPC (Austria) | Channel 306 |
| UPC (Switzerland) | Channel 172 (digital CH-D) |
| naxoo (Switzerland) | Channel 234 |
| UPC (Poland) | Channel 571 |
| IPTV | |
| Movistar TV (Spain) | Channel 102 |
| KPN (Netherlands) | Channel 204 |
| MaxTV (Croatia) | Channel 408 |
The Extreme Sports Channel (ESC) is a growing sports brand and cable, satellite and internet TV channel that launched from Amsterdam on May 1, 1999 with a legendary 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
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. In 1997 Al Gosling, an ambassador for Extreme sports and founder of the Extreme Sports TV distribution and production company Extreme, realised that there was opportunity to provide a channel for the 'undeserved community' that were passionate about the sports and the lifestyle on the basis that this large part of youth culture had been ignored by the large media companies. It took him a year looking for investors to back him and the idea 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 [1], 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 2012 with a reach of 70million households.
In 2009, after successfully launching the channel in over sixty countries, Al Gosling's company Extreme acquired full ownership of the EXTREME brand and sold its equity 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 with support for the sports at its core has developed the brand beyond TV and operates as a brand marketing and licensing company connecting brands to fans through passion and experiences. Extreme enables partners to tap into its established brand presence and existing flow of ongoing marketing activities which include 60 sponsored athletes, 55 annual events, social media reaching on average over 40 million people per week,[3] video content, the Extreme Sports Channel, Extreme.com, trend led creative assets and consumer insights.
To date products and experiences covering hotels, sports resorts, events, fashion, drinks, men's grooming, consumer electronics, apps and gaming is where Extreme is working with its partners. With electronics; destinations, hotels, fashion,[4] and drinks[5] launched in multiple territories.
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.[6]
The UK version closed down on 31 December 2015.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/may/30/observerbusiness.theobserver5
- ↑ http://www.surfersvillage.com/news
- ↑ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/100m-people-reached-facebook-week-alistair-gosling?trk=prof-post
- ↑ 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://realscreen.com/2012/01/26/extreme-sports-channel-enters-the-italian-market/
