AXS TV

AXS TV

Headquarters	Dallas, Texas, United States
Ownership
Owner	HDNet Inc.

AXS TV is a men's interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in both high-definition and standard-definition and available via cable and satellite television. The channel currently shows a wide variety of HD programming, using the 1080i video standard, without focusing on any specific genre. HDNet is owned by HDNet, Inc., a company founded by investor Mark Cuban in 2001. A share of the channel is in the process of being purchased by a group including Ryan Seacrest and entertainment companies Anschutz Entertainment Group and Creative Artists Agency, a move that saw the channel rebrand as AXS TV on July 2, 2012.

History

Launch and availability in the United States

File:HDNet Logo.svg

Logo as HD Net

On September 6, 2001, HDNet was launched by Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban and Philip Garvin, owner of Colorado Studios and Mobile TV Group. In December 2001 and January 2002 HDNet aired exclusive HD coverage of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan with former CNN correspondent Peter Arnett. In February 2002, they originated eight hours of high definition video each day from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. This feed was picked up by NBC and aired in 24 hour rotation on NBC's digital television stations. The channel has since grown to be available on a number of platforms, including the DirecTV and Dish Network satellite services and the cable systems of Charter Communications, Insight Communications, Mediacom, Suddenlink Communications, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse. On September 4, 2008, Cuban announced that Comcast officially made an agreement to carry both HDNet and HDNet Movies to their subscribers in various markets, and began rolling out HDNet in many major markets as of September 30, 2010.

Canadian carriage

In fall 2006, Rogers Cable, Bell TV and Cogeco in Canada added HDNet to their lineups; Shaw Cablesystems followed in April 2007. Presently, as is the case with many U.S.-based channels, HDNet does not own the Canadian rights to some of their sporting events or off-network repeats aired in the U.S. These are blacked out and replaced with additional repeats of HDNet's original programming. While referred to on the channel's website as "HDNet Canada", this is not a separate Canadian channel, but an alternate U.S.-based feed.

However, by 2010 (due in many cases to carriage disputes or few subscribers), several major television providers in Canada began to drop HDNet, including Bell TV (in October 2010), Rogers Cable (on November 1, 2011), Cogeco (on January 31, 2012), and Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct in the spring of 2012.

Carriage removals

Time Warner Cable announced on May 18, 2009 that it would drop HDNet and HDNet Movies across all cable systems effective May 31. Brighthouse Networks, an affiliate of Time Warner Cable, told its customers that Time Warner Cable canceled negotiations with HDNet and HDNet movies. According to claims made by Brighthouse representatives "HDNet wants to charge Time Warner Cable more for their programming content but Time Warner Cable does not want to pay more in order to save raising the cost of cable services to its (Brighthouse) customers". Subsequently other HD channels by lower cost providers, such as MavTV, The Outdoor Channel and The Sportsman Channel have taken the place of the HDNet networks.

HDNet and HDNet Movies saw more of a fallout in carriage in 2009. Providers who have not renewed deals to carry HDNet and HDNet movies include RCN, Mediacom and MetroCast Cablevision. In February 2011, Cox dropped both channels.

Major television providers in Canada also began to drop HDNet in 2010, including Bell TV (in October 2010), Rogers Cable (on November 1, 2011), Cogeco (on January 31, 2012), and Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct in the spring of 2012.

Purchase and conversion to AXS TV

On January 18, 2012, HDNet announced a joint venture with TV/radio personality/producer Ryan Seacrest, entertainment company/promoter Anschutz Entertainment Group, and talent agency Creative Artists Agency. AEG, CAA, and Ryan Seacrest Media will purchase a share of the network (with Cuban also retaining ownership), which will rebrand on July 2, 2012 as AXS TV (pronounced "access"), a name taken from AEG's ticket sales site AXS.

With the rebrand to AXS TV, the channel will shift its focus to a mix of lifestyle, pop culture, and performances, with an emphasis on live events and programming. Included in the mix will be concert and entertainment events, including those staged at AEG-owned venues (including Los Angeles' Staples Center and L.A. Live and London's The O₂). Programs also being considered include red carpet events and a regular pop culture program similar in vein to ESPN's SportsCenter. Some HDNet programming will remain, including Dan Rather Reports and MMA programming (including Inside MMA), though some hard-edged male-oriented programming may be phased out.

As part of the AXS TV announcement, Dish Network would expand the channel's distribution to non-high-definition customers; the channel, then still known as HDNet, was moved to Dish channel 131 in Spring 2012, allowing AXS TV to be available to at least 35 million Dish Network subscribers at its rebranding.

Programming

HDNet production trailer stored between launches at the Kennedy Space Center press area

HDNet airs exclusively 1080i high definition content from a diverse base of genres. A number of the channel's programs are original, such as Dan Rather Reports, a signature news program featuring hour-long investigative news pie