Why This MattersIndependent nets have had to craft a unique strategy in order to stand out from the pack to make up for a lack of scale.
Related: Networks Mark Anniversary of Diana's Death With Specials
The networks backed by massive corporations have a vital advantage in the modern television world, but when John DeGarmo, Reelz senior VP of sales and distribution, ventured to Denver to pitch Sling TV on including Reelz in its over-the-top channels bundle, he played up the network's independent status.
We're an independent network making a lot of investment in original programming, he said at the start of the pitch. I like to think of us as a little more maverick, with exciting ideas on new programming.
The bulk of Reelz's new originals show celebrities in a tight spot, including schedule debutants The Kitty Kelley Files, which debuts July 29, and Broke and Famous and US Weekly's Famous Feuds, both of which premiere Sept. 8. Sling executives apparently liked what they heard from DeGarmo. He said the pitch was well-received and is optimistic Reelz would be included in the Sling package.
Independents' Day
There aren't many independent networks left in a TV world where scale is a major priority. Reelz, owned by radio biggie Hubbard Media Group, is based in Albuquerque, N.M., and available in 70 million homes. Hubbard also owns a piece of Ovation, the arts network that too revels in its independent status, and reaches 50 million homes.
Thanks in large part to its pricey costume drama Versailles, about the reign of Louis XIV, Ovation is finishing up its upfront negotiations on a hot streak, Liz Janneman, executive VP of network strategy, said. We're seeing revenue growth up 30%, she said. Ovation's other owners include Arcadia. Janneman speaks of the simplicity of doing business with an independent such as Ovation. We're not leveraging 15 other things to give you the one thing you want, she said. There may be one series that advertisers want, but the leverage of the bundled approach makes it costly.
To be sure, a media corporation boasting a dozen networks wields considerable heft with multichannel video programming distributors and advertisers alike. But each of those networks has to prove its individual worth more and more in an increasingly a la carte world that sees skinny bundles selecting the top networks, and skipping the rest.
Earlier this year, Viacom president and CEO Bob Bakish took a similar approach to the corporation's networks portfolio. He spoke of prioritizing the flagship six networks within the company: BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Paramount Network, as Spike TV will be known. Not included in the select group were TV Land, VH1 and CMT, among others.
But the independents say there are perks to being a standalone. Steve Cheskin, senior VP of programming at Reelz, who previously spent 20 years at Discovery Networks, said he interacts with CEO Stan E. Hubbard all the time - a far less likely scenario at a major corporation.
When you say, the buck stops here,' it truly does, he said.
Cheskin mentions how quickly the network moved to grab the 2015 Miss USA pageant - it took a week, he said - after NBC and Univision dropped it following disparaging remarks about Latinos made by former pageant owner Donald Trump. When Reelz announced it would air the competition, Hubbard played up Reelz's independence in a statement. As one of only a few independent networks, we decided to exercise our own voice and committed ourselves to bringing this pageant to American viewers everywhere, he said.
DeGarmo acknowledged the lack of leverage that comes with being independent, but said he enjoys the network's nimble approach to doing business. We're not hamstrung by a lot of other networks, he said. There's not a lot of baggage to us. We stand alone.
Be Original
Both Reelz and Ovation are placing bets on original programming. Reelz has 30-40 hours more originals this year, and far fewer movies, said Cheskin.
That includes the special Elvis Presley: Behind Closed Doors, which debuts Aug. 13 and is hosted by Natalie Morales; The Stalker Files, about celebrity stalkers, which debuts Nov. 10; and It Happened Here, which retraces the final footsteps of stars such as John Lennon, Janis Joplin and John Belushi, and also debuts Nov. 10. Cheskin said dramatic stories involving celebrities were largely abandoned by other networks, mentioning VH1's Behind the Music.
There was a real niche sitting there, he said. People have a hunger for celebrity information.
On Ovation, season two of Versailles starts up Sept. 30, while The Halcyon - another period piece, this one set in World War II England - premieres Oct. 2. Janneman said high-quality originals - the first season of Versailles, a French production, cost around 30 million euros, according to Ovation, or $34.9 million - are a point of differentiation for the network.
Other returning Ovation series include The Art of, about boundary-pushing artists and pieces that fall outside traditional art, according to Ovation; and The Artful Detective, set in turn-of-the-20th century Toronto.
While the big-budget Versailles represents an exceptional move by Ovation, the challenges of being independent are nothing new for the folks at the network. We've always lived in a world where we have to vie for our place, said Janneman, our piece of the real estate.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
Why This MattersIndependent nets have had to craft a unique strategy in order to stand out from the pack to make up for a lack of scale.
