Origin Sports Network, Powered by Gray Television’s Raycom Sports, Expands Distribution Partners

Rhea-AI Summary

Origin Sports Network has expanded its distribution, now available on Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel, increasing its audience significantly. The channel features diverse sports content, including original programming like The Rise and Origin Sports Portraits, showcasing athletes from various eras. Upcoming themed programming includes Heisman Week and Bowl Week, featuring legendary performances. Chad Swofford from Raycom Sports expressed excitement about the network's growth and audience engagement.

Positive

• Expanded audience reach through distribution on Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel.
• Unique content featuring legendary and current athletes, appealing to diverse sports fans.
• Strong programming schedule including original series and timely themed events.

Negative

• None.

Sports Fans Can Now Access Origin Sports on Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel

CHARLOTTE, Nov. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  Origin Sports Network has expanded its lineup of distribution partners to include The Roku^® Channel (Ch. 238, U.S.-only) and Samsung TV Plus (Ch. 1163), more than quadrupling its addressable audience size.   A 24/7 linear streaming network, Origin Sports brings viewers unique content featuring Hall of Famers, All-Americans, All-Stars, No. 1 picks and National Champions before they became household names. Leveraging Raycom’s more than four decades of award-winning production expertise, Origin Sports launched in July with distribution on The Roku^® Channel in Canada and on XUMO (Ch. 713) in the United States, along with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Pairing nostalgic throwback content with original programming, Origin Sports is the destination for instant-classic comebacks, unforgettable performances, compelling stories and epic endings. Featuring legendary athletes like Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal and Joe Montana - to current superstars like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Devin Booker and Zion Williamson - there's something for sports fans of all ages and eras! Leveraging both the Raycom Sports and Gray TV archives, Origin Sports delivers seldom seen footage to today's fans on their favorite platforms. 

The Rise, Origin Sports’ initial original production, is a series of conversations with standouts from the sports world, providing exclusive anecdotes and perspectives on the influences and moments that led to their incredible accomplishments. New episodes this month will feature NFL Pro Bowler Herman Moore, and NBA All-Star Ralph Sampson, with additional episodes arriving monthly. Click here for a sample full episode, featuring NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins.

In the network’s second original series, Origin Sports Portraits, episodes will paint the picture of sports figures beyond their time as a star athlete. Portraits will detail their colorful personalities, focusing on other interests and relationships they've cultivated beyond sports. The premier episode of Portraits will feature Heisman Trophy winner, College Football National Champion head coach and visor trend setter, Steve Spurrier. 

In addition to original content, Origin Sports has designed its programming cadence to align with the current sports landscape. Weekly themes anchor Origin Sports’ schedule, giving fans trips down memory lane, providing relevant programming to the trending athletes of the day, and reliving some of the most remarkable and momentous performances from the past.

Dec. 6-12: Heisman Week

• Former Heisman winners take the spotlight, showcasing some of their most memorable games, including:
  • 1985 Heisman Winner Bo Jackson vs. Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl just a few weeks after receiving the honor.
  • 2004 Heisman winner Matt Leinart in one of the best National Championship games ever, against Texas and Vince Young for the 2005 title.
  • 2020 Heisman Winner DeVonta Smith’s five-touchdown performance vs. Ole Miss.

Dec. 26-Jan. 2: Bowl Week

• Classic moments, memorable performances and stars galore perform in memorable Rose, Orange and Cotton Bowls from the 1970’s to today, including:
  • Oregon’s Justin Herbert’s masterful performance against Jonathan Taylor’s Wisconsin Badgers in the 2020 Rose Bowl.
  • Joe Montana and Notre Dame against Houston in the 1979 Cotton Bowl.
  • Saquon Barkley, Chris Godwin, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sam Darnold shine in the star-studded 2017 Rose Bowl (USC vs. Penn State).

“We are thrilled with the early growth of Origin Sports,” said Chad Swofford, VP of Digital Content at Raycom Sports. “In addition to our two compelling original content series, our responsive approach to programming has been well-received. Origin Sports’ agility has allowed us to give our audience historical perspective directly connected to what is happening in the sports world today.”

Click HERE for the Origin Sports Press Kit.

About Raycom Sports
Raycom Sports, based in Charlotte, N.C., has been a national leader in content production, distribution and event management with over 40 years of experience and a reputation of being one of the nation’s finest independent sports syndicators and producers. The company has produced amateur, collegiate and professional games since its founding in 1979 including ACC Basketball for 39 years and ACC Football for 37 years. Currently, the company coordinates and produces the RSN (Regional Sports Network) ACC Football and Men’s/Women’s Basketball games for Bally Sports. Additionally, Raycom has been the packager for Carolina Panthers pre-season games since the team’s inception in 1995 and was recently awarded the production for Charlotte’s MLS team, Charlotte FC. A multi-platform solutions provider, Raycom also manages the ACC’s digital, social, mobile & gaming app platforms. Through its parent company Gray Television’s ownership in newly formed Family Entertainment Holdings, LLC, Raycom is an operating partner in multiple international family entertainment properties including, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live™, the world’s fastest growing Monster Truck show, and Magic of Lights™, the largest drive-through holiday experience in North America. Gray Television is the largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets in the United States. Upon the closing of its acquisition of the television stations owned by Meredith Corporation, it will serve 113 television markets that collectively reach 36 percent of US television households.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.

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FAQ

What new platforms will Origin Sports be available on?

Origin Sports is now available on Samsung TV Plus and The Roku Channel, expanding its audience.

What original programming does Origin Sports offer?

Origin Sports features original series like The Rise and Origin Sports Portraits, focusing on athletes' stories.

What special programming events are coming up on Origin Sports?

Upcoming events include Heisman Week and Bowl Week, showcasing memorable performances from past sports legends.

Who expressed excitement about the growth of Origin Sports?

Chad Swofford, VP of Digital Content at Raycom Sports, shared positive feedback about the network's early growth.

When did Origin Sports Network launch?

Origin Sports launched in July and has since been expanding its distribution and content offerings.