About 18 months after they battled for control of Outdoor Channel, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has agreed to acquire Intermedia Outdoors Holdings, from InterMedia Partners VII, the private equity fund controlled by cable veteran Leo J. Hindery Jr., which includes TV network the Sportsman Channel, 15 outdoor magazines, 17 websites and television production operations. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Kroenke Sports, controlled by Stan Kroenke, the billionaire owner of the St. Louis Rams, had battled InterMedia for several months in 2013 for control of Outdoor Channel. After several competing offers for the channel, Kroenke won the prize in May 2013.
KSE said in a statement that Outdoor Channel, which air such shows at Buck Commander (pictured), and Sportsman Channel will continue to operate as separate networks.
“This is a highly complementary transaction that solidifies our leadership in the outdoor genre and strengthens our ability to serve our passionate and growing audience with a diverse range of content choices,” said KSE CEO Jim Martin in a statement. “We have the highest quality programming, the top brands and the broadest distribution in the outdoor industry, all under the KSE umbrella. We are committed to further investing in these assets, increasing our distribution and expanding the range of content experiences we deliver. We welcome the former InterMedia Outdoors team to the KSE family and look forward to working together to grow this vibrant category and build on our success.”
