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NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - OLN, the cable channel known until last July as the Outdoor Life Network, will change its name to Versus in September.
OLN president Gavin Harvey said the new name captures the essence of where the Comcast Corp.-owned channel is going now and in the future.
"We're all about outdoor sports, and we're not only building on that but also opening it up to other competitive sports and other activities," Harvey said.
It has been a busy year for the channel, which is in about 60 million homes. Late in the summer, OLN snagged national cable rights to the National Hockey League after ESPN gave them up; it began coverage in October and now is carrying the Stanley Cup playoffs. It recently received rights to the Arena Football League as well as World Cup skiing and tennis' Davis Cup. It also carries repeats of "Survivor."
"It seemed like the time to make the break with the past and build on the new positioning," Harvey said.
He said OLN's new programming goes beyond the "outdoor filter" that the brand had been about.
"People didn't really watch us because we were outdoors, people watched us because there was dramatic activity going on," Harvey said. "Like the Davis Cup, which takes place in the outdoors, but it really isn't an outdoor sport."
But OLN, which has a strong brand name among outdoors enthusiasts for its hunting and fishing programming, says it isn't about to give that up. Name change or no, it is still about the so-called field sports.
Harvey declined comment on rumors that OLN -- or Versus -- would be interested in a cable deal with Major League Baseball. But he said Versus would give the channel a new identity that is more than what it has done in the past.
"This new positioning that we have allows us to be opportunistic," Harvey said. "We want to pursue great sporting events wherever they lead us."
OLN probably will have a rough road in the summer, when it faces the Tour de France without Lance Armstrong. The Tour always has been a ratings grabber for OLN, but it is likely that an Armstrong-less race will generate lower ratings.
"We know that we're going to lose viewers because they followed Lance," Harvey said. "Lance not only transcended cycling, but he transcended sports." Harvey said OLN has, since he arrived in early 2004, decided it would build the race beyond Armstrong knowing that he eventually would retire.
Harvey said the name Versus was chosen after an extensive search by focus groups inside and outside the company.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
This article was dated Apr 24, but I hadn't heard of the name change until I just read it.
As soon as they signed the NHL contract it was a certainty that Comcast would make a name change. Its not like the Original Six days when they played the NHL outside from time to time.
BTW many industry experts are watching what Comcast does with this channel very closely. There's been talk of Comcast being the latest to make a run at a major national sports network opposite ESPN. Fox Sports Net was generally a failure on the national level and had to settle nack into a regional makeup. But many believe having another player nationally could be just what it tales to keep ESPN in check. We shall see.
I like the fact that hockey is on OLN/Versus being that ESPN didn't want it. It's nice to have another option other than ESPN. On another note, it looks like the NFL Network is gaining quite a bit of power in the industry.
The NFL Network continues to basically be a satellite only channel. Its not getting picked up by hardly any cable systems since the league wants to play hardball. Until they get enough original content on the channel warrant its fees being passed on to customers, it will stay that way. But the rumor in the cable circles is that the NFL may be working toward creating a weeknight game that can only be watched on their network.
Right now their clearance is EXTREMELY low nationwide. So not many peope are seeing the product.
The NFL Network was one of the main reasons I switched from Adelphia cable to Directv. They already are forcing folks to get the network if they want to watch some Thursday and Saturday games during this upcoming season. They also will be rebroadcasting 4 of the best games from each week. That will be nice for people like me that live in VA so don't get to see much of my team the Buffalo Bills play, but maybe will be one of the games rebroadcast.
Adelphia gave us a preview of it for about 5 days and it was the single greatest 5 days of my life. I can honestly say, I don't think my TV moved from that station for the entire time that it was available. It is a dream to somebody who doesn't live near their team because they really don't play favorites like your ESPNs and FSNs do. Training camps on TV? That's freaking awesome! Combine workouts? Greatest idea ever! Adelphia can't fade into bolivian fast enough.
*please disregard this post if dated before 2017 and accept my apologies*
I just wish that OLN was on the basic expanded (LOL) digital cable package we get. I haven't seen anything but Columbus Blue Jackets games this season.
Well at least your are not forced to suffer through crappy (Jetbroadband aka Nesbe Cable) Which blows more than any other cable provider.... I think after 5 years of nagging the crap out of my dad he might be caving and getting DirecTv
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