The Ski Channel Monday announced it has reached a multi-faceted partnership with ski-based production company Ride Guide TV.
As part of the deal, the video-on-demand based network will premiere the Canadian-based Ride Guide’s entire library of Ski and Mountain Bike shows, as well as have access to the Ride Guide’s extensive clip library featuring the most extreme and interesting footage from all over the world, according to Ski Chanel president and CEO Steve Bellamy, who previously had helped launch Tennis Channel. Ski Channel is expected to launch sometime in 2008.
In addition, Ride Guide will produce 26 fresh episodes per year for The Ski Channel and will make all past episodes available.
“The Ride Guide is the premiere mountain oriented episodic television series in the world,” Bellamy said in a statement. “They go to the most remote and interesting places around the globe in a way that makes viewers feel like they are actually on the trip. These guys know where to go, what to shoot, what to say and how to say it. They capture the soul of the space and produce some of my favorite programming in all of television. They are going to be a giant tent pole on The Ski Channel.”
The Ride Guide deal follows the recent equity investment The Ski Channel made in ski and action sports filmmaker Rage Films.
