Oxygen and Comcast Announce Multi-Year Carriage Agreement
Oxygen, the only network owned and operated by women, and Comcast, the country's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, have signed a new multi-year agreement that provides for continued carriage of the women's network on Comcast cable systems. Comcast also plans to add the independently owned network to its line-ups in Baltimore, Tucson and Las Cruces, NM.
"We're thrilled to have reached this agreement with an industry leader like Comcast," said Lisa Gersh Hall, President and COO of Oxygen. "Oxygen has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years, and this agreement will help us continue to provide women with the programming that speaks to them."
"Comcast is committed to offering programming that meets our customers' diverse interests, and Oxygen provides women with viewing choices uniquely tailored to them," said Matt Bond, Executive Vice President of Programming for Comcast. "We're pleased to extend our relationship with Oxygen with an agreement that provides opportunities for broader distribution across Comcast's footprint."
With successful programming like Mo'Nique's Fat Chance and Snapped, Oxygen is the fastest growing independent network (0 to 50M in just 48 months) to launch in the past five years. The network is on track to achieve full distribution - and is currently in 55M Nielsen homes. Oxygen became cash positive in 2005.
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen, the only cable network owned and operated by women, is currently available in 55 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with the most original programming of all the women's networks including Snapped, Talk Sex with Sue Johanson and Oprah After the Show. Geraldine Laybourne, the network's founder, Chairman and CEO, has led the company to be a strong advocate for women. Through programs like The Mentor's Walk, Oxygen's national program for bringing along the next generation, and "Who Cares About Girls," Oxygen's new documentary series -- Oxygen is creating The New Girls Network.
About Comcast Corporation
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, 7.7 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.