Agreement to Bring Comcast Digital Subscribers
The First and Only Video-On-Demand Television Network Dedicated
to Providing Sports Instruction and Coaching
New York, NY, July 18, 2005 – Rainbow Network Sales announced today a distribution agreement with Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), the country's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services making sportskool innovative on-demand content available to Comcast digital subscribers nationwide. This one-of-a-kind sports instruction programming is now available in the sports and fitness category of Comcast ON DEMAND.
Produced and distributed by Rainbow Media, sportskool empowers athletes of all ages and skill levels to improve their game with instruction provided by world-renowned athletes and coaches, including: soccer legend Mia Hamm; Chicago Cubs' all-star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra; basketball legend Bill Walton, skateboarding pioneer Mike Vallely; top tennis coach Brad Gilbert; and reigning world-champion ski racer Bode Miller.
"This agreement to distribute sportskool underscores the continued commitment of both Rainbow Media and Comcast to the on-demand platform — one of the cable industry's biggest growth categories," said Lisa Schwartz, Senior Vice President, National Accounts and Advanced Services, Rainbow Network Sales. "With sportskool, Comcast subscribers will have a great resource for enhancing their athletic skills or for simply enjoying their favorite sports."
Dan Ronayne, General Manager, sportskool , commented, "Through our agreement with Comcast, sportskool will have a profound impact on training the next generation of athletes. We look forward to providing the best possible experience for Comcast with the same quality original programming and full service marketing support that has been so outstanding for Mag Rack."
"We're pleased to add sportskool to our ON DEMAND line-up and provide viewers with a destination where they can learn and perfect their skills in a wide array of sports," said Page Thompson, Vice President and General Manager of Comcast ON DEMAND. "Sports instruction is a natural fit for video on demand, this is another example of how Comcast is changing the way people interact with their televisions."
About Comcast Cable
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 21.5 million cable customers, 7.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 1.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable networks and in the delivery of programming content.
The Company's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, Outdoor Life Network, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. The Company also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia. Comcast Class A common stock and Class A Special common stock trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively.
About sportskool
Launched by Rainbow Media in 2004, sportskool delivers in-depth expert instruction, coaching and guidance for a wide range of sports activities. The network – featuring exclusive and original programming custom-built for VOD – boasts some of the most recognizable pros in sports, including Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra, Bill Walton, Mike Vallely, tennis coach Brad Gilbert and sportskool host, Mike Verstegen. In addition to the upcoming Comcast distribution, sportskool is available on the following cable systems: Cablevision, Mid-Hudson Cable, and Blue Ridge Cable. For more information about sportskool, visit http://www.sportskool.com.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation. Rainbow owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women's Entertainment, as well as on-demand services including Mag Rack and sportskool. Rainbow's other businesses include its regional programming services — MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks – in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications.