“There are only a handful of television networks that bring the quality of viewing experience of The Ski Channel,” said Steve Bellamy, Chairman and CEO of The Ski Channel. "You are schussing the steepest fall lines in Alaska one minute with incredible theatrical releases like 'First Descent,' hanging with the coolest athletes at a posh resort the next, and then stepping off a 2,000-foot cliff while para-gliding in the Himalayas.
"Our next phase is getting this great service in more households," Bellamy added. "Combined with our other distribution, our availability on U-verse TV puts us in nearly 20 million homes. Considering we have only been on the air for a few months, we are extremely happy.”
“This is a great addition to the U-verse TV On Demand library,” said Richard Wellerstein, AT&T Vice President, On Demand Programming. “U-verse TV customers will be able to enjoy this compelling content for free before many cable customers.”
“First Descent” produced by Universal Pictures and primarily shot in Haynes, Alaska, documents five of snowboarding’s greatest riders including Shaun White, Hannah Teter, Nick Perata, Shawn Farmer and Terje Haakonsen, all with different reasons for tackling the most extreme slopes the planet has to offer. The film includes dramatic helicopter shots of riders stepping off slopes that are virtually like riding down the sides of skyscrapers.
“'First Descent' is a spectacular film,” said Andy Nelkin, President of Panasonic, one of the film's sponsors on The Ski Channel. "The Ski Channel is the perfect targeted network to give the film the broad distribution it deserves.”
