New-Media Firm Strikes Extreme Sports Deal

Broadband Interactive Group, a new-media company that is using cutting-edge technology to lasso the extreme-sports set, said Monday it will begin producing one-hour television shows Monday through Friday in January on Fox Sports Net.

Gotcha.tv will be broadcast into 68 million homes, targeting viewers between the ages of 10 and 34 who are interested in sports such as surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

Broadband Interactive Group, BIG for short, is backed by Henry Samueli and Henry Nicholas, founders of computer-chip maker Broadcom Corp. It intends to merge television and the Internet and create programs and Webcasts of interest to fans of high-energy, thrill-packed sports.

BIG recently bought surf-wear maker Gotcha International, which had a budding media division that included the one-hour “Surf the Planet” television show on Fox on Fridays, three action sports magazines and a library of action sports videos.

The new deal with Fox will expand the programming as of Jan. 1 to one hour daily, 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a repeat at 1 a.m. Beginning in July, BIG will work with existing Fox producers from BIG’s production facilities in Aliso Viejo to broaden its offerings, adding more coverage of sports such as wakeboarding, BMX and freestyle motocross.

Currently, the Fox extreme-sports program “Rush Hour” features one-hour shows airing every Friday with content from a variety of providers, including “Surf the Planet.” BIG’s productions will replace “Rush Hour.”

For BIG, cross-promotional opportunities abound. Television viewers, for example, will be directed to the Gotcha.com Web site where they could, for example, purchase a magazine that features an interview with their favorite skateboarder or buy a snowboarding video.

BIG also announced Monday that Gotcha has struck a partnership with veteran action-sports clothing maker Snowmass Apparel Inc. to form Gotcha Sportswear, a new company that will design, make and distribute Gotcha’s brands, including the GirlStar and MCD labels.

Broadcom, Gotcha International and Snowmass are based in Irvine. BIG, which has been operating out of Gotcha International’s headquarters, moves into its new offices in Aliso Viejo today. Gotcha Sportswear will be in the current Gotcha International building.

Edmund Wong, who was executive vice president at Snowmass, will become president of Gotcha Sportswear. Don Daly, who was Snowmass’ executive vice president, will be chief operating officer of the new company.

The new partnership and management shift will enable Gotcha Chief Executive Marvin Winkler, who is also chairman of BIG, to spend more time working on BIG projects and on the proposed Gotcha Glacier, a huge indoor snowboarding and surfing complex he hopes to build in Anaheim, Winkler said.

Nicholas and Samueli have also invested in Gotcha Glacier, which could become the source of additional programming for BIG. Content for BIG programs would also be generated by Gotcha-sponsored events, such as the Gotcha Pro surfing championship held in Huntington Beach.