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The Ski Channel Announces Long-Term Comcast On Demand Deal
Bringing Total Homes to 43MM
Unveils Ski Film Slate and National Film Tour for Upcoming Ski Season
Los Angeles (July 19th, 2010) – Steve Bellamy, Chairman and CEO of The Ski Channel television network (http://www.theskichannel.com), announced today that it has entered into a long-term distribution agreement with Comcast that will provide the channel’s original programming, Warren Miller movies, Greg Stump films, destination travel, instructional videos and events to Comcast On Demand customers. This deal brings the 18-month-old network to more than 43 million US households between all television distributors. Additionally, the network has produced a slate of original films and will launch a national film tour in the fall.
“Our deal with Comcast enables us to reach skiers and snow sports enthusiasts in destination ski areas and local and ski destination feeder markets,” said Bellamy. “The fact that Comcast is innovative and advancing television technology enhances the value proposition immensely for us as we too are on the cutting edge of technology.”
“The Ski Channel brings great independent programming to our customers and is a unique and targeted fit for many of our local markets,” said Matt Strauss, Senior Vice President of New Media at Comcast.
The Ski Channel has also produced a slate of original ski films that will be a part of a massive US grass roots film tour in mid-October. Through long-term exclusive partnerships with the National Ski Council Federation and the National Ski and Snowboard Retailers Association, ski clubs and ski shops around America, The Ski Channel will hold local premieres of the films before they are distributed on the television network.
Promoters will have a choice of two full-length feature films and one short film. “The Story” stars Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn, Willie Bogner, Kristi Leskinen, Chris Benchetler, Reggie & Zack Crist, Mike Douglas and numerous other stars of skiing, snowboarding, wing suit flying, speed flying, river surfing and kite skiing. The film takes viewers into deep character dives with the most famous skiers to the most obscure ski bums as well as to the top of Mount Everest, never before skied skyscraper lines in Alaska and various gut-wrenching variations on human flight. The trailer for “The Story” is located here: http://www.theskichannel.com/TheStoryTrailer.php.
A full-length documentary on skiing’s greatest rebel and cult hero, Bill Johnson has also been produced. The definitive sports Greek Tragedy, Johnson’s story starts with his Ali-like claim that everyone else was racing for second. The “nose picker” as Franz Klammer called him made good on his bet as he struck gold in Sarajevo at the downhill in the 1984 Winter Olympics. Two more World Cup victories followed shortly after and Johnson was the world’s greatest downhiller…“And then it was gone,” said Phil Mahre of Johnson’s life. The documentary follows Johnson through the story of trying to win back his family and his life. The trailer for the Bill Johnson Documentary is located here: http://www.theskichannel.com/BillJohnsonTrailer.php.
Lastly, a documentary on the late Shane McConkey was in production last year, but unfortunately four days into the shoot, he was killed in a ski wing suit base jump in the Dolomites. Those four days have been packaged into a short film with Shane, his wife and daughter as well as legendary snowboarder Jeremy Jones with his daughter.
The Ski Channel http://www.theskichannel.com is an original, free ad supported network delivered on cable, satellite and IPTV services, web, wireless and other means of distribution. It is the only television network devoted to the wide variety of year round mountain activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, backpacking, climbing, etc, along with many off-slope activities. The Ski Channels’ content will inspire and inform audiences with magazine shows, movies, events, news, weather and programs that focus on destination travel, equipment, instruction and real estate.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation’s leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.5 million cable customers, 16.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.9 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast’s content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast’s Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wachovia Center, and manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.
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I mean I would sit around watching all Those old Warren miller flicks, but that's me. If some one is going to turn on the tv and see skiing, I think they should see pow slashes and sw dub corks not daffys, helicoptors(crapy 360s) and 10 guys wearing rear entry boots with stright skis synchronizing their ass movements.
Either way stoked about the retro ski channel. Hopfully this is just one step towards the real ski channel.