The independent programmer dedicated to the nation’s more than 140 million active outside enthusiasts to be available on Xfinity TV’s Sports Entertainment Package
Westport, CT – Independently owned Outside Television will begin to launch on Comcast’s Xfinity TV systems across the country starting in June 2012. The Outside Television channel, born of the now 35-year-old Outside Magazine, is geared to the more than 140 million outdoor enthusiasts, who participate regularly in outdoor activities and the healthy lifestyle surrounding them.
“More than half of Americans already embrace this lifestyle, and there are millions more who are very likely to become converts,” said Dennis Gillespie, senior vice president of distribution for Outside Television. “These are also the very same people who tend to engage themselves more deeply in digital media activities that video providers like Comcast’s Xfinity TV were some of the very first to create.”
The upcoming channel launch on Xfinity TV systems will bring Outside Television to customers located near America’s coastlines, mountain ranges and the Great Lakes, where so many outside enthusiasts live. Initial rollouts of Outside Television will occur in Xfinity TV areas serving: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Florida, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, Portland, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. The channel will be available to Xfinity TV customers in these areas on the Sports and Entertainment Package.
“Outside Television brings outdoor enthusiasts compelling entertainment that showcases the sports and lifestyle that they are passionate about,” said Mark Burchill, Chief Executive Officer at Outside Television. “The Outside brand has been the leading voice in the space for 35-years, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this programming to Xfinity TV customers.”
Outside Television was created mid-year 2010 to bring the rich scope of sports, people, places, adventures, discoveries, environmental issues, health, fitness, apparel, trends and events surrounding the fast-emerging and active-outside-enthusiast lifestyle to television and digital media for thefirst time. Producing all of its series in high-definition to capture the unsurpassable natural beauty surrounding the adventures and activities of its participants, Outside Television has built a significant roster of originalprogramming, high-definition content, established senior staff, and enteredinto key partnerships with sponsors and video providers over the past 18 months.
The Outdoor Foundation’s recent state-of-the-outside report issued earlier this month states that more than 140 million Americans – or roughly half the entire U.S. population – participated in outside sports and recreation activities in the past year, representing the highest levels since 2006 when the Foundation first began tracking such trends. Americans made a total of 11.6 billion adventure outings in 2011, an increase of more nearly 20 percent over the prior year, and indication that many Americans continue to aspire toward healthier, active lifestyles.
Outside Television is partnered with leading advertisers across automotive, entertainment, financial services, healthy services and pharmaceuticals, travel, apparel and gear, and most every other premium categories. Outside Television has partnered with Outside Magazine to create major integrated solutions involving Outside-branded print, online, mobile, tablet and social media capabilities to reach the highly engaged enthusiasts. Outside Television also manages its own owned-and-operated programming service into most of America’s key ski and other outside recreational resorts, which reaches another 61 million visitors each year, more than two-thirds of whom (40 million) become regular Outside Television viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Outside often hosts major events and attractions based at the same resorts, including Outside in Aspen, Teva Mountain Games, Aspen Fashion Week and several others.