Extreme Sports Channel
| Extreme Sports Channel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Launched | 1999 |
| Owned by |
Extreme International (Owner of the EXTREME brand) AMC Networks International (Channel operator) |
| Audience share |
UK: 0.01% (September 2015, BARB) |
| Language | English |
| Sister channel(s) |
AMC SundanceTV CBS Action CBS Europa CBS Drama CBS Reality Horror Channel Outdoor Channel JimJam |
| Website | The Brand |
Availability | |
| 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 |
| beIN (Middle East & North Africa) | Channel 116 |
| 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 |
The Extreme Sports Channel (ESC) is a sports and lifestyle cable, satellite and internet TV channel that launched from Amsterdam on May 1, 1999.[1] Founded by Alistair Gosling, the channel covers extreme sport the lifestyle and sports which include surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, BMX, FMX, music, art and fashion in over 60 countries and 12 languages.[2]
History
In 1997 Alistair Gosling, an ambassador for Extreme sports and founder of the Extreme Sports TV distribution and production company Extreme International took 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 , Legal Director Adam Oliver; Head of Sales Ben Barrett, and programming Manager Andy Warkman, the brand was launched in May 1999 from Amsterdam, Holland.[3]
In 1999, 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.
In 2009, after launching the channel in over sixty countries, Alistair Gosling's company acquired full ownership of the EXTREME brand and sold its equity stake in the channel business for an undisclosed sum to John Malone's Liberty Global Inc. which had by then become owners of UPC.[3] Following the acquisition Extreme raised funds from Kleinwort Benson and Soc Gen Bank and with a passion for sports at its core supports over 100 athletes, delivers over 80 events and offers opportunities across sports marketing and event services, [4] brand licensing, content studios and has over £1.6b of large scale sports and leisure real estate projects under development. [5]
EXTREMEs Consumer product licensing division works with companies to deliver EXTREME branded products and services across sports resorts, hotels, events, drinks, apparel, tech, apps & gaming. Examples of this are OTONE a UK based audio brand,[6] Vimto a leading drinks company [7] and Kondor an electronics company for cameras, audio and VR products. Electronics, destinations, hotels, fashion,[8] and drinks[9] have 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 beIN in the Arab World.
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.[10]
The UK version closed down on 31 December 2015.
References
- ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/may/30/observerbusiness.theobserver5
- ↑ http://www.surfersvillage.com/news
- ↑ http://www.sportcal.com/news/news_print.aspx?ArticleID=51481&Title=Extreme+Sports+Channel+to+Launch+Dedicated+Feed+for+Polish+Market
- ↑ http://www.fatbmx.com/bmx/news/article.php?storyid=39078
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-37293985
- ↑ "Extreme launches Extreme Audio range with Otone Audio". Retrieved 2016-06-30.
- ↑ http://www.slrmag.co.uk/vimto-launches-energy-market-with-extreme
- ↑ http://www.licensemag.com/license-global/extreme-signs-apparel-partners
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
- ↑ http://realscreen.com/2012/01/26/extreme-sports-channel-enters-the-italian-market/