Bravo (American TV network)

This article is about the U.S. cable network. For other uses, including the unrelated TV channels in Canada and in the UK, see Bravo.

Bravo

Headquarters	New York City
Ownership
Owner	NBC Universal

Bravo is a cable television network owned by NBC Universal. It is currently seen in more than 79 million homes and was the first service dedicated to film, drama, and the performing arts when it launched in December 1980. In the early 2000s it switched from covering performing arts, drama, and indie film to being focused on pop culture like reality shows, fashion shows, makeovers, celebrities, and so forth. Bravo's programming schedule includes feature films (primarily from the Universal catalogue). Bravo also airs reruns of series from parent network NBC, and produces original reality content, most popularly Project Runway, Queer Eye, Top Chef, Inside the Actors Studio, and Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Many of these programs are Emmy-nominated.

Ownership

Bravo TV was originally a service of Cablevision's Rainbow Media. Between 1999 and 2001, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had a 20% stake in the channel (in addition to fellow Rainbow networks AMC and WE). In 2001, a stake of Bravo was acquired by NBC, buying the entire channel in 2002. Today, it is owned by NBC Universal. Its corporate offices are at Rockefeller Center in New York. Other cable networks owned by NBC Universal include: CNBC, MSNBC, mun2, Sci-Fi Channel, ShopNBC, Telemundo, Sleuth TV, Chiller, Universal HD, and USA Network, as well as some partial ownership of international cable channels such as CNBC World, CNBC Europe, and CNBC Asia.

Positioning

According to NBC Universal’s Bravo fact sheet, "Bravo is the cable network that plugs people into arts, culture and pop culture with original programming, movies and by showing a whole different side of celebrities." They cultivate an arts and pop culture focused image including original niche reality programs. Their new positioning statement, "Watch what happens," is a reference to the network's current focus on original reality programming.

Target audience

Bravo's target audience is age 25-54, affluent, educated and tech-savvy males and females with high levels of disposable income. Bravo's market share of this demographic continues to grow, and according to Bravo's annual programming report, is higher than that of competing networks such as A&E, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, Food Network, HGTV, and The Travel Channel. Their focus on this demographic is apparent from their programming, particularly their reality programs that focus on celebrities, living and home improvement, as well as reruns of programs that play well to this audience. Local and national advertising is appropriate to the target demographic: local advertisers include jewelry shops and computer stores, and national advertisers include computer companies and business services.

Distribution

According to NBC Universal's Bravo fact sheet, Bravo is currently available in more than 79 million homes. Some sources including Bravo's Programming Highlights for this year put the number at closer to 78 million.

Promotion

Bravo gives substantial advertising to both their original and off-network programming. Heavily promoted original content includes Inside the Actors Studio, Project Runway, Top Chef, and Celebrity Poker Showdown. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which Bravo now produces in-house, was once an example of the off-network shows aired by Bravo, such as The West Wing. Much of Bravo's success in differentiating itself from other cable channels has been in its ability to maintain a balance of original and classic series.

Programming

Bravo utilizes block programming for both new shows and successful existing ones. Bravo has also had great success with programming franchises. These include their "100 Greatest..." TV and the film retrospectives, based upon the concept of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies; Project Greenlight and Project Runway; Showbiz Moms & Dads and Showdog Moms & Dads; Party/Party and a handful of successful gay-themed dating and reality shows (i.e. Queer Eye, Project Runway, which contains several gay contestants, and Workout, which features a lesbian lead) a niche which had yet to be filled by the reality-heavy networks.

Originals

• The Awful Truth
• Battle of the Network Reality Stars
• Being Bobby Brown
• Blow Out
• Boy Meets Boy
• Breaking News
• Celebrity Poker Showdown
• Flipping Out
• Hey Paula
• Inside the Actors Studio
• The It Factor
• The Jake Effect
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• Long Way Round
• Manhunt
• Million Dollar Listing
• Project Greenlight
• Project Runway
• Queer Eye for the Straight Girl
• Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
• Queer Love starring William Snow
• The Real Housewives of Orange County
• Shear Genius
• Showbiz Moms & Dads
• Significant Others
• Situation: Comedy
• Solstrom
• Tabloid Wars
• Top Chef
• Top Design
• Welcome to the Parker
• Work Out

High definition

A high definition version of the channel launched on October 3, 2007 on DirecTV. This is the second version of Bravo HD; the current Universal HD launched as Bravo HD+ in August 2003.

• Bravo HD

Canadian Bravo!

Bravo! (with the exclamation mark) is a Canadian English language cable television specialty channel owned by CTV Limited a division of CTVglobemedia. It uses the "Bravo" name under licence from NBC Universal. However, aside from the name and the interview series Inside the Actors Studio, there has been essentially no connection between the two channels since 2001, when the American Bravo network (then under the ownership of Cablevision's Rainbow Media) changed its direction away from focusing on performing arts towards a general programming direction. Many of Bravo's original programming now airs in Canada on the Alliance Atlantis Communications slate of specialty channels, namely Slice, Food Network, and HGTV.

See also

• List of DirecTV channels
• List of Dish Network channels

External links

• Official Website