The Ski Channel
Encyclopedia
The Ski Channel is a Video On Demand
Cable, Satellite and Telco television network distributed on Comcast
, Time Warner Cable
, DirecTV
, Verizon FiOS
, Brighthouse Networks, Cablevision, RCN
, AT&T U-Verse and Cox Communications
. The technical term for a channel of this type is VODnet
. It features mountain oriented sports, activity and lifestyle content and is devoted to year round mountain activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, backpacking, climbing and other mountain sports. The network launched on December 25, 2008. World #1 tennis doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan
are investors in the channel. It was founded by Steve Bellamy
who also founded Tennis Channel television network.
and is the billed as the most extreme sporting event in the world, World Freeski Championships, the Subaru US Freeskiing Tour, The North Face Snowboard Tour and the Teva Mountain Games. Olympic Gold Medalist, Jonny Moseley
has his own show called “Air It Out With Jonny Moseley.”
Partial list of programs shown:
, DirecTV
, Cox Communications
, Verizon FiOS
, Brighthouse Networks, AT&T U-Verse and Dish Network
. Comcast
reached a carriage agreement on July 19, 2010.
is involved. According to Ski Channel Executives there is a large amount of these types of film produced every year providing the need for this type of a festival.
had his film Steep and Deep as well as his Thrills and Spills television series. There were two episodes of Ride Guide. One episode was shot in Golmar, India and the other in Canada
. There were two episodes of Skiers World that were shot in Europe. A film called AK The Hard Way featured 3 adventurers traveling in Alaska with their dog. And there was a film by the clothing company Marmot
that featured paragliders in the Hymalayas. The entire block of programming was commercial free.
, Lindsey Vonn, Mike Douglas, Bobby Brown
and various other famous and non-famous skiers. There is a documentary
on Bill Johnson
and another documentary on Shane McConkey
. To date "The Story" has won 11 film festivals and had a sold out premiere at the Manns Chinese Theatre in Hollywood that was nearly shut down by the fire marshall on 3 separate occasions during the screening because of over capacity. Although the films main stars were Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller, many people say that adaptive skier Stephani Victor was the bright light in the film.
has stated that the site may start to accept advertising in 2011.
and would also be broadcasting Primal Quest
the most grueling endurance competition in the world. Primal Quest
was previously on CBS television.
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
Cable, Satellite and Telco television network distributed on Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
, Brighthouse Networks, Cablevision, RCN
RCN Corporation
RCN Corporation, founded in 1993 and based in Herndon, Virginia, is the first American facilities-based competitive provider of bundled telephone, cable television and high-speed internet service delivered over its own fiber-optic local network to consumers in the Boston, New York, Eastern...
, AT&T U-Verse and Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
. The technical term for a channel of this type is VODnet
VODnet
A VODnet is a VOD Video On Demand driven cable and satellite television network. It is different from a traditional linear television network in that the content resides on a server at a cable head end or satellite server bay and the consumer calls up the particular program they want to watch from...
. It features mountain oriented sports, activity and lifestyle content and is devoted to year round mountain activities such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, backpacking, climbing and other mountain sports. The network launched on December 25, 2008. World #1 tennis doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan
Bob and Mike Bryan
Twin brothers Robert Charles Bryan and Michael Carl Bryan are American professional tennis double players. They have been the World No. 1 doubles player for over 270 weeks and have finished the ATP year-end number 1 doubles team a record 7 times...
are investors in the channel. It was founded by Steve Bellamy
Steve Bellamy
Steve Bellamy is a former rock musician, songwriter, and entrepreneur in sports and media as well as the writer/director for the film The Story starring Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn and Hilary Swank...
who also founded Tennis Channel television network.
Programs
The network broadcasts events, movies, destination travel, news, equipment, instructional, real estate and all the different sports and activities that take place in the mountains in both the summer and winter. The channel has announced event rights that include the World Heli Championships that takes place in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and is the billed as the most extreme sporting event in the world, World Freeski Championships, the Subaru US Freeskiing Tour, The North Face Snowboard Tour and the Teva Mountain Games. Olympic Gold Medalist, Jonny Moseley
Jonny Moseley
Jonathan William Moseley, better known as Jonny Moseley , is the first Puerto Rican to become a member of the U.S. Ski Team.-Early years:...
has his own show called “Air It Out With Jonny Moseley.”
Partial list of programs shown:
- Warren Miller Films
- Warren Miller Television Series Spills and Thrills
- Teva Mountain Games
- Air It Out With Jonny Moseley
- Ride Guide
- Storm Hunter
- Destination…
- Ski Channel Academy
- World Heli Championships
- Ski Channel News
- Rage Films Library
- Gearheads
- Ski Bloopers
- The Best of…
- AK The Hard Way
- The Sublimation Experiment
Cable and Satellite Distribution
Currently, The Ski Channel is available on 7 of the largest television distribution companies Time Warner CableTime Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
, DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
, Cox Communications
Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a privately owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises providing digital cable television, telecommunications and wireless services in the United States...
, Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS
Verizon FiOS is a bundled Internet access, telephone, and television service which operates over a fiber-optic communications network. It is offered in some areas of the United States by Verizon Communications. Verizon was one of the first major U.S...
, Brighthouse Networks, AT&T U-Verse and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
. Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
reached a carriage agreement on July 19, 2010.
Film festival
The network announced it will hold an annual Ski Channel Film Festival devoted to mountain sports starting in 2011 and that legendary filmmaker Warren MillerWarren Miller
Warren Miller may refer to:* Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller...
is involved. According to Ski Channel Executives there is a large amount of these types of film produced every year providing the need for this type of a festival.
Initial Launch Programming
The initial launch programming lineup included 30-minute episodic programs and feature films. Warren MillerWarren Miller
Warren Miller may refer to:* Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller * Warren Miller...
had his film Steep and Deep as well as his Thrills and Spills television series. There were two episodes of Ride Guide. One episode was shot in Golmar, India and the other in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. There were two episodes of Skiers World that were shot in Europe. A film called AK The Hard Way featured 3 adventurers traveling in Alaska with their dog. And there was a film by the clothing company Marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
that featured paragliders in the Hymalayas. The entire block of programming was commercial free.
Film and Film Tour
In the fall of 2010, The Ski Channel will have a National film tour for three original films. "The Story" stars Bode MillerBode Miller
Samuel Bode Miller is an American alpine ski racer. He is an Olympic and World Championship gold medalist, a two-time overall World Cup champion in 2005 and 2008, and is generally considered the greatest American alpine skier of all time...
, Lindsey Vonn, Mike Douglas, Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
and various other famous and non-famous skiers. There is a documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
on Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson
Bill Johnson may refer to:Arts and Entertainment*Bill Johnson , American actor known for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2...
and another documentary on Shane McConkey
Shane McConkey
Shane McConkey was a professional skier. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was based in Squaw Valley, California. He won numerous awards and competitions. McConkey started as a competitive ski racer, but moved on to be featured in a long line of extreme skiing movies...
. To date "The Story" has won 11 film festivals and had a sold out premiere at the Manns Chinese Theatre in Hollywood that was nearly shut down by the fire marshall on 3 separate occasions during the screening because of over capacity. Although the films main stars were Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller, many people say that adaptive skier Stephani Victor was the bright light in the film.
Website
Even though the http://theskichannel.com is one of the largest ski websites on the web, the company has yet to accept any advertising. CEO, Steve BellamySteve Bellamy
Steve Bellamy is a former rock musician, songwriter, and entrepreneur in sports and media as well as the writer/director for the film The Story starring Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn and Hilary Swank...
has stated that the site may start to accept advertising in 2011.
Adventure Racing
Broadcasting and Cable Magazine reported on 3/29/09 that The Ski Channel was becoming the official broadcast partner of Adventure RacingAdventure racing
Adventure racing is a combination of two or more endurance disciplines, including orienteering and/or navigation , cross-country running, mountain biking, paddling and climbing and related rope skills...
and would also be broadcasting Primal Quest
Primal Quest
Primal Quest was an expedition-length adventure race that has been called one of the most difficult athletic events in the world and was cited as the most prestigious expedition event in North America. The race once featured the largest prize purse in adventure racing. Each race lasted up to ten...
the most grueling endurance competition in the world. Primal Quest
Primal Quest
Primal Quest was an expedition-length adventure race that has been called one of the most difficult athletic events in the world and was cited as the most prestigious expedition event in North America. The race once featured the largest prize purse in adventure racing. Each race lasted up to ten...
was previously on CBS television.