Steve Bellamy, Chairman and CEO of The Ski Channel television network, 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 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 Ski Channel 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.
