DENVER (December 18, 2020) – Outdoor lifestyle programming has not been postponed or cancelled by Covid-19, so let’s see what the pre-eminent content providers – Outdoor Sportsman Group Networks (Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network) have to offer in 2021. The fresh Q1 lineup of adventure series and not-to-miss premieres begin on Monday, December 28 on all three networks.
The virtual world was embraced in 2020, and that continues in January with Sportsman Channel and Outdoor Channel hosting two product premieres with unparalleled multi-media coverage for two major industry shows that were forced to cancel their 2021 in-person trade show: the Archery Trade Association (ATA) and the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. Tune in for their respective product premieres on January 16 for the ATA Show and beginning on January 18 for SHOT Show.
A record number of people took up the rod and reel in 2020; Outdoor Channel is delivering with new seasons of original programs, such as the iconic In-Fisherman TV, and fresh new content from the San Diego pier with The Fishmonger.
If you need an escape from the walls you’ve been living in for months, turn on
World Fishing Network and get into “The Reel Life.”
“The year 2020 was unlike any we’ve ever known, the new year allows us to look forward in anticipation of what will be,” Outdoor Sportsman Group President and CEO Jim Liberatore said. “In 2021, a new outlook and many changes are on tap for Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network while also noting the return of many of the networks’ favorite programs.”
Outdoor Channel welcomes several new series in 2021, including a “therapy” session by none other than Jim Shockey in Shock Therapy, and learning how the best fish in the world make it from sea-to-table in The Fishmonger. Speaking of fresh content, don’t miss WildFed, with hunter-gatherer Daniel Vitalis; plus fan-favorite series, Dead Meat, debuts on Outdoor Channel showcasing seasons one through four. And while on the water, Major League Fishing is back with new content including: MLF Cups and its companion show, MLF All Angles.
Don’t miss these fan-favorites returning with new tales to tell: Gun Stories featuring Joe Mantegna returns (Wednesdays, 7 p.m. ET); Wardens (Mondays, 8:30 p.m. ET); Shooting Gallery (Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. ET) and Viral Outdoors (Thursdays, 7 p.m. ET). Dynamic duo Lee and Tiffany Lakosky hold down a new prime time spot on Sundays (8 p.m. ET) with their series
Crush with Lee & Tiffany.
- Shock Therapy (premieres Sunday, January 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET): Jim Shockey interviews fellow hunters who share some of their amazing experiences.
- The Fishmonger (premieres Monday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET) – Government regulations, unfair competition, economic downturns and a pandemic have combined to make it extremely difficult for American fisherman to earn a living. The Fishmonger illustrates how the best fish in the world make it to our restaurants and dinner tables.
- WildFed (premieres Monday, January 4 at 7 p.m. ET): From the mountains to the sea, and all terrain in-between, host Daniel Vitalis is joined by his friends and family to hunt, fish and forage hard-won ingredients from the landscape for a “wild fed” meal.
- MLF Cups (premieres Saturday, January 2 at 2 p.m. ET): Thirty anglers qualify for each of these four MLF Cup events (Challenge Cup, Heritage Cup, Patriot Cup and Summit Cup).
- Crush with Lee & Tiffany (Sundays, 8 p.m. ET): Lee and Tiffany Lakosky love to bowhunt, and when they aren’t in New Mexico tracking elk or North Carolina chasing turkeys – they are fulfilling their passion for the sport on their Iowa farm.
Sportsman Channel is bringing back viewers’ favorite fishing series in January, plus resuming the “Friday Night Fishing” block of programming anchored by Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour (Fridays, 8 p.m. ET). If bow and arrow is more the speed, check out the LIVE action with Archery Shooters Association 3D Live Tournaments on Saturday evenings. Don’t miss the Hoyt Pro/Am on February 27 and the Elite Archery Pro/Am on March 27. For those who demand adventure, the network welcomes new series to the screen: AdVANture Hunter (Mondays, 8:30 p.m. ET), American Airgunner (Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. ET), Fish Outta Brooklyn (Sundays, 11 a.m. ET), MTN Top Outdoors (Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m. ET) and On Target (Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. ET).
Sportsman Channel also is hosting two product premieres with unparalleled multi-media coverage for two major industry shows that were forced to cancel their 2021 in-person trade show: the Archery Trade Association (ATA) and the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show. The ATA New Product Premiere debuts on January 16 at 6 p.m. ET. The SHOT Show New Product Premiere runs during the same time the in-person show would have taken place in Las Vegas: January 16-22 from 6-7 p.m. ET – with a bonus airing on January 23 from 5-8 p.m. ET. Both shows are a “must watch” to see what gear is new and hot in 2021.
- Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour (Fridays, 8 p.m. ET) – Top professional anglers facing off in eight stages of intense high-stakes competition, all striving to earn a spot in the Bass Pro Tour Championship, REDCREST.
- AdVANture Hunter (Mondays, 8:30 p.m. ET): This series unveils the nomadic and sustainable lifestyle of hunting, fishing and heart-stopping experiences all while living and traveling in a rugged, kitted-out Mercedes Sprinter Van.
- American Airgunner (Thursdays, 9:30 p.m. ET): Featuring big game hunts with 50-cal airguns. Plus, the show features the biggest competitions in the country while educating the world on the power of airguns.
- Fish Outta Brooklyn (Sundays, 11 a.m. ET): Host Gus Congemi has New York City roots, but a passion for undiscovered wilderness.
- On Target (Tuesdays, 7:30 p.m. ET): Join Roger Raglin as he revisits and breaks down some of his favorite hunts from more than 30 years on outdoor television.
The best catches are found on World Fishing Network with a fresh focus on fishing and water-based lifestyles for 2021. Tune in for Fishful Thinker featuring Chad LaChance; make the best decision with Florida Sportsman Best Boat; watch the iconic mainstay, In-Fisherman; see legendary pro-angler Jimmy Houston Outdoors and welcome back, Trey McKinney in Training up the Next Generation. Plus, the ICAST New Fishing Gear Guide was so popular in 2020, the network is re-airing it (Saturday, March 6, 6 p.m. ET). Finally, don’t miss FLW fishing series’ 2020 Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American (Monday, January 4 at 11 p.m. ET) and 2020 Toyota Series Championship (Monday, January 25 at 11 p.m. ET).
- Fishful Thinker (Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. ET): Host Chad LaChance features multi-species action in this series, including bass, trout, walleyes and pike from public waters around the West.
- Florida Sportsman Best Boat (Thursdays, 6 p.m. ET): This series highlights the features that boat buyers should look for in a respective class of boats.
- Jimmy Houston Outdoors (Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m. ET): Jimmy is in the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the Professional Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
- Training up the Next Generation (Tuesdays, 7 p.m. ET): Twelve-year-old aspiring pro fisherman Trey McKinney is mentored by experienced professional anglers.
Other Q1 Highlights include:
- Outdoor Channel
- Longmire (Mondays, 9 p.m. ET) – Season Six lands Febuary 8 based on the Walt Longmire mystery novels.
- McMillan (Mondays, 10:30 p.m. ET): The 2019 season re-airs with host Tom McMillan telling tall tales of his guided hunt business.
- Bone Collector (Sundays, 9:30 p.m. ET) – Featuring Michael Waddell and his brotherhood of sportsmen.
- Sportsman Channel
- MeatEater with Steven Rinella continues holding down a weekly timeslot from Monday-Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
- Favorites return with new episodes, including:
- Winchester & Drury’s Natural Born (Sundays, 10:30 p.m. ET)
- Red Rising (Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET)
- Pigman: The Series (Sundays, 8:30 p.m. ET)
- Guns & Ammo (Thursdays, 9 p.m. ET)
- Pro Team Journal (Sundays, 10 a.m. ET)
- Winchester Deadly Passion (Sundays, 11:30 a.m. ET)
- Everything Eichler (Sundays, 12:30 p.m. ET)
- Saltwater Underground (Sundays, 4:30 p.m. ET)
- World Fishing Network
- Missed the original airing of some of Outdoor Sportsman Group’s best documentaries? Catch re-airs of:
- One Path: The Race to Save Mongolia’s Giant Salmonids (Saturday, January 2 at 8 p.m. ET): Join Fly Fisherman editor Ross Purnell as he travels by horse, camel and raft through the land once ruled by Ghengis Khan.
- Blood Run: Fishing with Amazon Warriors (Saturday, January 9 at 8 p.m. ET): On Brazil’s Xingu River, Kayapo warriors use the enormous fangs from vampire fish to cut and scar their arms in celebration.
- Additional shows to catch in Q1 include:
- FLW Fishing (Sundays, 1 p.m. ET)
- Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show (Mondays, 11 p.m. ET)
- The Obsession of Carter Andrews (Wednesdays, 6 p.m. ET)
About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world’s foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes three leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel and World Fishing Network, as well as Sportsman Channel Canada and MOTV, the world’s leading subscription-based video-on-demand outdoor television content platform. The Group also consists of a number of established publishing assets: 16 outdoor magazines including Guns & Ammo, Game & Fish, Petersen’s Hunting, In-Fisherman and 20 top websites, including OutdoorChannelPlus.com. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group includes television production operations, Winnercomm. For more information, visit www.outdoorsg.com. #MyOutdoorTV
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Tom Caraccioli | Outdoor Sportsman Group | Tom.Caraccioli@OutdoorSG.com
