Extreme Sports Channel

The Extreme Sports Channel is a European pay television channel that was launched from Amsterdam on 1 May 1999.[1] The channel broadcasts in over 60 countries and 12 languages, and covers extreme sport and adventure sports which include surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, motocross, BMX, mountain biking, FMX, music, gaming and fashion.

Extreme Sports Channel
Launched1 May 1999 (1999-05-01)
Owned byExtreme International (brand)
AMC Networks International (channel)
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Audience shareUK:
0.01% (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB)
LanguageEnglish
Websiteextreme.com
Availability
Satellite
Sky (Italy)Channel 218 (HD)
PAS 1012.682 GHz H
Digiturk (Turkey)Channel 83
Dolce (Romania)Channel 305
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
Kabel Noord (Netherlands)Channel 305
UPC (Austria)Channel 306
UPC Switzerland (Switzerland)Channel 120 (SD)
naxoo (Switzerland)Channel 234
UPC (Poland)Channel 571
Caiway (Netherlands)Channel 109
DELTA (Netherlands)Channel 152
IPTV
Movistar TV (Spain)Channel 102
Streaming media
Ziggo GO (Netherlands)ZiggoGO.tv (Europe only)

The vision and idea for the Extreme brand franchise and TV channel came from Alistair Gosling, an ambassador for action and adventure sports, founder of Extreme International, international advisory board member of Qidiyya the world's largest tourism project, and investor in Medshr and Sustainable Seaweed.

History

In 1998 Alistair Gosling, founder of Extreme, started approaching potential investors to back the plan for a new brand and TV network dedicated to extreme and adventure sports.[2] After a meeting at MIP TV Extreme partnered with the European cable operator UPC and launched the Extreme Sports Channel from the Netherlands on 1 May 1999, and in the UK in 2000.[3][4]

In late 1999, Extreme launched its United States operations, and charged veteran producer, Lloyd Bryan Adams with the task heading up the North American presence. They launched EXtreme TV, a branded block on Fox Sports Net in March 2012.

In 2005,[3] after launching the channel in over sixty countries, Extreme acquired the brand and sold its 50% stake in Extreme Sports Channel to John Malone's Liberty Global Inc. which had by then become owner of UPC. The channel was put under the management of Chellomedia.[3] Since the transaction and as adventure and extreme sports have rapidly expanded and moved into the mainstream Extreme have gone onto develop the business across sports parks, resorts, hotels and destinations [5] production studios, digital media network, sports marketing services, events and experiences. As part of its central brand activities Extreme supports and sponsors 128 grass roots and profesional athelets, activates 84 events each year and runs a digital media network that delivers over 100 million video views each month.

The channel launched in Poland in January 2006, followed by France in that same year.[3]

The UK version of the channel was free-to-air from launch until the summer of 2006, when a deal with BSkyB meant that it became encrypted.

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.[6]

AMC Networks acquired Chellomedia on 2 February 2014. Chellomedia was rebranded by AMC Networks International on 8 July 2014.[7]

On 31 December 2015, the channel was removed from the Sky EPG.

References
  1. "TV sport goes to extremes for teens". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  2. "Meet the Team". ExtremeSportsCompany.com. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  3. Chalaby, Jean K. (2009). Transnational Television in Europe: Reconfiguring Global Communications Networks. I.B.Tauris. pp. 148–149. ISBN 9780857717474.
  4. "UPC, de grootste private kabelmaatschappij van Europa, begint volgende maand met twee nieuwe televisiekanalen, Extreme Sports Channel en Film1" (in Dutch). Trouw. 14 April 1999.
  5. "Developer announced for derelict Sheffield Ski Village". BBC. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  6. "Extreme Sports Channel enters the Italian market". realscreen.com. 26 January 2012.
  7. BroadbandTVNews.com: Chellomedia to become AMC Networks International
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