Outdoor Life Network and USSA announce ski and snowboard coverage agreement

Outdoor Life Network and USSA announce ski and snowboard coverage agreement{mosimage}Ski and snowboard fans won’t have to search much further than the Outdoor Life Network for coverage of all the best American ski and snowboard events. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and OLN have entered into a multi-year agreement that includes 22 hours annually of original programming on OLN, along with multiple re-airs throughout the winter.

OLN, in 59 million homes, televises some of the most exciting sporting events in the world, including The Tour de France and the Gravity Games. The addition of USSA events on OLN complements the extensive coverage of winter sports already on the network.

‘OLN has become the home of competitive skiing and snowboarding. We’re excited to add our programming to their schedule’ said Ted Morris, USSA vice president of corporate sales and marketing. ‘We believe this partnership will garner consistent visibility for our top athletes throughout the winter.’

Programming kicks off with coverage of the women’s World Cup in Aspen, Colorado and the men’s World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado. This season’s programming will also include coverage of freestyle and snowboard World Cup events, the U.S. Championships and the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix series. OLN will telecast each program a minimum of three times, with the premiere broadcast airing in primetime.

‘Winter sports play a vital role in our strategy to be a network for all seasons’ said Gavin Harvey, president of OLN. ‘OLN is proud to be the new cable home of outstanding American ski racers like Bode Miller, Daron Rahlves and snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis.”

Morris added, ‘OLN is putting a tremendous amount of effort into the promotion of our athletes, so we are thrilled to be combining forces to promote our athletes and events in ways that have never been done before. The commitment OLN has made to become the home of winter action sports makes this partnership truly exciting for USSA.’

The integrated partnership will include a joint promotional plan to drive viewership, and also gives OLN rights to use USSA marks and athletes in promotion of programming. USSA, which will produce the shows, will receive a rights fee from OLN. Previously, USSA had a programming agreement with ESPN since 1983. In addition to OLN’s coverage, NBC will air a minimum of eight hours of ski and snowboard action this season.

Outdoor Life Network is the leader in outdoor adventure and action sports television. The network offers exclusive programming in four primary areas: Outdoor Adventure, Action Sports, Field & Stream® and Bulls & Rodeo.