Jericho, NY — May 3, 2004 — Growing up in Inglewood, California, Paul Pierce developed the skills he needed to become an All-American at Kansas University and a three-time NBA All Star with the Boston Celtics.
Now, Pierce will teach kids and adults right in their own living rooms what they can do to wow the crowds and hit the big shots on the hardwood or the blacktop.
This summer, Pierce will appear in "streetskool," televised exclusively on sportskool, the nation's first video-on-demand (VOD) cable network dedicated to expert sports and fitness instruction. sportskool is currently available as part of Cablevision's iO: Interactive Optimum® digital cable television platform throughout the New York metropolitan region, and is expected to launch in additional markets throughout the year.
"A basketball, a hoop and some skills are all you really need to play ball," said Pierce. "The skills are the hard part, which is why I'm excited to share what I know on sportskool to help kids and adults raise the level of their game and add some style."
In "streetskool," Pierce will demonstrate some flashy fundamentals — crossover and behind-the-back dribbles, tough shots and the kind of moves that drop jaws. If his moves are at first a bit too slick or too quick, viewers can take advantage of sportskool's VCR-like controls to pause, rewind and fast-forward to make sure they learn what it takes to shine on the court. Then it's off to the playground, the driveway, or even the back yard to practice.
Pierce joins sportskool's roster of elite athletes and trainers sharing their knowledge and expertise on-demand. Others featured on sportskool include Mia Hamm, Sue Bird, Nomar Garciaparra, Brad Gilbert, Jeff Blake, Mike Vallely (Mike V.), Bode Miller and many more.
About sportskool
sportskool, a service of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, features exclusive and original programming available only via VOD — providing in-depth expert instruction, coaching and guidance from world renowned athletes, coaches and trainers for a wide range of sports and fitness activities. The sportskool library consists of more than 2,000 instructional segments for the beginner, intermediate and advanced participant, covering 90 different activities. For more information, visit www.sportskool.com.
About Rainbow Media Holdings LLC:
A leader in sports, news and entertainment programming, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). Rainbow Media owns and manages national networks: AMC, Fuse, IFC (The Independent Film Channel) and WE: Women's Entertainment; as well as the on-demand services: Mag Rack, sportskool, Uncensored On Demand, World Picks On Demand and World Picks Networks. Rainbow Media's other businesses include its regional programming services – MetroChannels, News 12 Networks and Rainbow Sports Networks – in addition to the Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation and Rainbow Network Communications. Rainbow Media is also a 50 percent partner in Fox Sports Net.