Dedicated to the hungry fanatic: there's hardly a sport that doesn't have its niche net. (Rights & Contracts).(Brief Article)

Broadcasting & Cable, August, 2003 by Romano, Allison

Outdoor Life Network President Roger Williams is glowing over what he calls "the Lance effect" on his cable channel. That's Lance Armstrong, the superstar cyclist who raced to his dramatic fifth Tour de France victory last month. As Armstrong surged, so did Outdoor Life, which covered the whole race. Of course, a broadcast network or big cable players wouldn't crow about a 0.5 rating in prime, but, for a niche sports netlike OLN, it was a huge win.

"You have to give people a reason to come to your network," Williams said.

From football to fishing, there's hardly a sport that doesn't have at least one dedicated cable channel. With 53 million subscribers, Outdoor Life is one of the more established. Some--like fledgling services Tennis Channel,...

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