New York, NY (Jan. 19, 2010) – Sportsman Channel, the premiere all hunting, shooting and fishing network, announced today it would launch a high-definition version of its popular channel starting on January 25. Sportsman HD will simulcast the high-quality programming that is currently broadcast by Sportsman Channel in standard definition. The high-definition service will be made available to all television distribution partners beginning Jan. 25; initially, 33 percent of primetime programming will air in HD format, and it is expected that the majority of all programming on the network will be shown in high-definition by the third quarter. Sportsman HD will be co-located on the same satellite as the standard definition service and will be broadcast using the MPEG-4 format.
“Given our commitment to providing a superior viewing experience for American Sportsmen, we felt that it was essential to begin our HD offering at the start of 2010,” said Willy Burkhardt, president of Sportsman. “Sportsman HD viewers will be able to fully immerse themselves into the shows to feel like they are out in the tree stand or on the water with our hosts. High-definition, especially for nature scenes, takes the viewer experience to an entirely new level both audibly and visually.”
Sportsman Channel expects to announce its first group of distribution partners for its high-definition service in the first quarter of this year.
This is a transition year for Sportsman HD as programs that are already captured in high-definition, such as Back Country Quest, Family Traditions with Haley Heath, Guns & Ammo, Heartland Bowhunter, In-Fisherman TV, North American Whitetail, Predator Nation and Trout Unlimited: On the Rise, will be joined by an increasing number of productions. Burkhardt added, “HD television sets are becoming more widespread across America, and now we will have an appropriate home for our producers to offer their terrific programming in the highest quality format available.”
SPORTSMAN CHANNEL: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering the most educational and entertaining hunting, shooting and fishing programming. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. For more information, visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com.
INTERMEDIA OUTDOORS: InterMedia Outdoors, Inc. is the largest media company in the outdoor-enthusiast category, exclusively serving the information and entertainment needs of the American Sportsman. The components of IMO include: a dominant network of websites dedicated to hunting, shooting and fishing; a portfolio of 15 magazines including powerful brands such as Petersen’s Hunting, North American Whitetail, Guns&Ammo, In-Fisherman, Fly Fisherman, and Florida Sportsman; syndicated radio programming; 23 market-leading television productions; the most comprehensive library of outdoors television programming anywhere; and Sportsman Channel, the only television network dedicated exclusively to hunting, shooting and fishing.
