Nat Geo Hunts ‘Wild’ Sponsors

But the New Nature Network Still Caging Carriage Deals

By Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 3/15/2010 12:09:32 PM

National Geographic Channel says advertisers are just wild about its new wild-animal focused spinoff Nat Geo Wild, to launch March 29.

But the National Geographic Society and Fox Networks Groupowned service — an adaptation of an existing international Nat Geo service — might still be searching through the multichannel-distribution jungle for U.S. carriage.

Nat Geo Wild has earmarked the channel slot left by the March 31 departure of the nearly 50 million-subscriber Fox Reality Channel. During an upfront presentation last week, though, NGC executives would not predict how many subscribers the new network would have at birth.

A Fox Cable spokesman said in an e-mailed statement that the company is working with all Fox Reality Channel distributors to “transition” that slot to Nat Geo Wild.

“The response has been very encouraging, and we expect to officially announce our launch partners in the coming weeks. We remain confident that Wild will be among the most impressive launches of a new network in the history of cable,” Fox Cable said.

Advertisers are on board: Wild has already sold out the first four months of inventory, according to Rich Goldfarb, NGC’s senior vice president of media sales.

“It’s really been overwhelming,” Goldfarb said. “It’s such a nice place for an advertiser’s message to be, from a content point of view.”

New original shows Wild will debut include Wild Nights With Mireya Mayor, about rarely seen nocturnal wildlife; Dangerous Encounters With Brady Barr, about fierce animal predators; and Swamp Men, about an ecological wildlife park director in a 2,200- acre camp.

Like NGC, Wild will look to build weekly franchise stunts, starting later this year with Big Cat Week.

New shows coming to NGC include Fish Warrior With Jakub Vágner, about the famed angler’s unconventional methods; Great Expeditions, seeking answers to history’s intriguing questions; Making History, which digitally recreates major historical events; Monster Fish With Zeb Hogan, about the fish conservationist’s search for endangered underwater creatures; and Thom Beers-produced Wild Justice, tracking U.S. game wardens.

Returning series include The Dog Whisperer, Alaska State Troopers, Border Wars, Explorer, Naked Science and the Inside documentary series, according to executive vice president of content Steve Burns.