Steve Bellamy, the founder of US pay-television broadcasters the Tennis Channel and the Ski Channel, announced the launch of a new channel dedicated to beach, water and board sports.
The Surf Channel will debut in mid-September and will be a free-to-view, on-demand network available on cable, satellite, telecommunications and digital platforms. Bellamy said that distribution partnerships had already been agreed with Comcast, Cox Communications, DirecTV, Dish Network and Filmon.com to ensure the channel will be available to 20 million US households at launch.
“Surf, its lifestyle and environment create an unparalleled canvas for a television network,” Bellamy said. “The Surf Channel will be a sports channel, travel channel and lifestyle channel all in one. Viewers will go on the most expensive vacation of their lives to the most remote and exotic destinations the planet has to offer. They will get to see some of the most incredible athletes pushing the human spirit and the boundaries of human capability to its furthest limits.”
The Hollywood Reporter website said that the Surf Channel would share all basic back-office functions with its sister network the Ski Channel, but would be separate in branding and editorial.