Cable television no longer worked for the people at Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, so they followed their audience online and launched DeerHunter.TV on Jan. 17.
That's the reverse route for some creators, but it makes perfect sense to the people at Deer & Deer Hunting. Although the magazine has offered cable-TV programming for years, it operated under the time-buy model: it bought time off channels, offered its own programming, and sold its own ads. Recently, channels have become more restrictive about usage rules, requiring that creators wait 10 weeks before reusing programming online.
DeerHunter.TV is intended to meet outdoor enthusiasts' desire for quality programming.
That upset the economics for Deer & Deer Hunting, which began looking around for a better way to reach viewers. The long-term play for us was not to continue to embrace the traditional outlets, print and television, says Publisher Jamie Wilkinson, but to look for a digital-first approach.
With help from custom-video-platform company Sportsrocket, Deer & Deer Hunting created DeerHunter.TV, a freely available multiplatform OTT video destination. Under this new model, shows will air for a week or so online, then move to cable. It makes sense, Wilkinson says, because the company sees better numbers from digital than it does from TV.
At launch, DeerHunter.TV offers nine years' worth of Deer & Deer Hunting TV, the flagship show it created for NBC. It is also offering Destination Whitetail, a top-rated show from the Sportsman Channel; Land of Whitetails; and multiple web exclusives. Hunting enthusiasts are hungry for quality online programs.
Most hunters spend time in deer stands, and they are consuming content at a rapid rate on their mobile devices, Wilkinson says. The interesting thing about hunting, it's about five hours of sitting and, if you're successful, a few minutes of excitement. There's a lot of time to fill.
Hunting enthusiasts can watch DeerHunter.TV through browsers on desktop computers and mobile devices, as well as the channel's social-media accounts. It will debut a Roku app in mid February, with Apple TV and other connected platforms to follow.
Deer & Deer Hunting certainly isn't finished with television: it will bring its shows to Pursuit Channel, which isn't putting any restrictions on content and will allow Deer & Deer Hunting to program its own two-hour block in the third and fourth quarter. What excites Wilkinson about the deal is that he can use the analytics from DeerHunter.TV to understand what content the viewers like best, then feed those shows to the TV audience. The online platform provides instant viewing data, something he never had with cable.
OTT partner Sportsrocket entered the picture, thanks to Tom Beusse, CEO of Deer & Deer Hunting parent F+W Media. When Wilkinson told Beusse how he wanted to transition distribution, Beusse connected him with Sportsrocket founder Brian Bedol. After a quick meeting, Wilkinson was certain that this was the right company for the job. He credits Sportsrocket with applying lessons it learned on mainstream projects to the outdoor space, moving the project along faster than it would have done otherwise.
Sportsrocket provides the backend technology for DeerHunter.TV - uploading, tagging, distribution - as well as offering best practices for social networks. The team at Deer & Deer Hunting creates all the content in-house. There are multiple opportunities for sponsor involvement: category sponsorship, presenting within a show, and 15- and 30-second commercials. The outdoor market is product-driven, Wilkinson notes, providing plenty of opportunities to feature sponsors' goods. All sponsored content is clearly marked, he adds.
Now that it has a working OTT platform, Deer & Deer Hunting is opening it up to outside publishers as well. Wilkinson wants the platform to be an inclusive space where smaller television packagers can find a digital home.
With DeerHunter.TV a success, F+W Media plans to create a similar destination for one of its other enthusiast niches: the woodworking community. That's also a video-rich destination, and the GM of F+W's Popular Woodworking has been interested in the DeerHunter.TV launch. The move has gone well so far, and Wilkinson sees good things in the future now that his team is digital-first.
We're hopeful that, in the next three to six months, we're going to see this platform grow by leaps and bounds, he says. It's an exciting time for us. With this platform, we control our own destiny.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
07/05/2026
Recreating the 1974 Doctor Who Time Tunnel in After Effects
Graham Quince May 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Time Tunnel from Doctor Who titles is one of th...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
Cable television no longer worked for the people at Deer & Deer Hunting magazine, so they followed their audience online and launched DeerHunter.TV on Jan. 17.
