Game Network
First broadcasting on 17 September 1999, Game Network's television channel was available all over Europe, with the UK version (produced by Cellcast) overlaying their own regional content to the channel, with programs including "Digital Crack", "Me in Mir", "The Weekly Chart Show", "Game Guru", "Reloaded", "LiveWire", "Evolution". The channel expanded in 2003 (the year Cellcast started increasing control of the channel, with Sem Mioli of Digital Bros. side and Jonathan French and Craig Gardiner from the Cellcast side spearheading the channel) with the launch of non-gaming programmes such as "Babestation", a late-night "tease" show. The success of this show lead to many other clone programmes appearing on other channels, and this alternative revenue stream lead to a later influx of phone-in quiz shows, of which Game Network shows many. By 2005, Game Network's UK games programming went largely limited to a block of raw games footage from 5:30 am – 10am (under the name "Game Clip"), with Game Guru airing from 5 pm until 7 pm, followed by programmes such as "Psychic Interactive", which continue until "Babestation" starts. The major gaming shows, such as "LiveWire", were cancelled in May 2005, and the Italian-language feed from Hotbird ceased on September 17, 2005, after six years on air. At this time, Digital Bros. sold Game Network UK completely to Cellcast Group, which completely dropped all video game content by 20 February 2006 and renamed it "Babestation". On 28 February, the channel was moved to the adult section of the Sky EPG. During the time in which Game Network ran as a television channel, they also hosted servers for various online games including "Horizons Online", "Droiyan Online", "The Legend of Mir" series, and "Myth of Soma", some of which also prominently advertised on their programming ("The Legend of Mir" games also received their own dedicated programmes). After Game Network ceased to exist as a television channel, their online side involving the video games that they provided to the public continued as GNOnline until servers for "The Legend of Mir 2", "The Legend of Mir 3", and "Myth of Soma" were closed on March 2009.
History
It was initially owned by Digital Bros group, but was later sold to Cellcast Group. Game Network was, during its broadcast, the only television channel in Europe dedicated to covering multimedia entertainment, and generally focused on video games.