Tuff TV
{{Short description|American digital broadcast network}}
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{{Infobox broadcasting network
| name = Tuff TV
| logo = 200px
| country = United States
| network_type = Digital broadcast television network
| branding = TUFF TV
| broadcast_area = United States
| available = 33% of US households {{cite news|title=The Top 25 Digital Broadcast Networks|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/77094/the-top-25-digital-broadcast-networks|access-date=28 December 2014|work=TVNewsCheck.com|date=17 June 2014}}
| owner = TUFF TV, Inc.
(Seals Entertainment Corporation)
| key_people = Lou Seals
John Bonner
| launch_date = June 30, 2009
| dissolved = August 26, 2018
| website =
}}
Tuff TV was an American digital broadcast television network targeted at men owned by the Tuff TV, Inc. division of Seals Entertainment Corporation. Tuff TV launched on June 30, 2009, and ceased operations August 26, 2018.
Tuff TV carried a mixture of sports (combat, motor and some team sport), lifestyle (outdoors, cooking), automotive, dramas, movies and talk show programming geared mainly at a young male audience. The network carried 3 hours of weekly E/I children's programming to comply with federal broadcasting regulations. Stations affiliating with Tuff received five minutes of local advertising per hour.
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History
Tuff TV was launched in 2009 as a joint venture between Luken Communications and TUFF TV Media Group LLC. By July 2011, the network's main affiliate base were the Morris Family Broadcasting and NJR TV station groups.{{cite news|last1=McAvoy|first1=Kim|title=Diginets Struggle For Place On TV's Frontier|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/52778/diginets-struggle-for-place-on-tvs-frontier/page/4|access-date=March 6, 2017|work=TVNewsCheck.com|date=July 27, 2011|page=4|language=en}} In mid-July 2014, Tuff TV started crowdfunding equity on SparkMarket.com to raise Investment capital, but was limited to those living in the state of Georgia.{{cite news|last1=Malone|first1=Michael|title=Tuff TV Turns to Crowd-Funding|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/technology/tuff-tv-turns-crowd-funding/132689|access-date=March 6, 2017|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=July 24, 2014}}
Tuff agreed to carry some games from the first season of the Fall Experimental Football League in October and November 2014.{{cite press release | date = October 1, 2014 | title = FXFL To Be Carried on ESPN3 | url = http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/26681849/fxfl-to-be-carried-on-espn3 | location = New York | publisher = FXFL | agency = PR Newswire | access-date = October 20, 2014 | via = NBC Right Now | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141021025920/http://www.nbcrightnow.com/story/26681849/fxfl-to-be-carried-on-espn3 | archive-date = October 21, 2014 }} Tuff relocated their offices to the GPB Media Building in Atlanta on June 8, 2016.{{cite news|title=Tuff TV Announces New Corporate HQ, Studio|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/95367/tuff-tv-announces-new-corporate-hq-studio|access-date=March 3, 2017|work=TV News Check|date=June 8, 2016|language=en}} On Friday, July 15, 2016, Tuff took over its distribution feed from Luken Communications earlier than planned.{{cite news|title=Early Launch For Tuff TV's New Network Feed|url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/96138/early-launch-for-tuff-tvs-new-network-feed|access-date=March 3, 2017|work=TVNewsCheck|date=July 12, 2016|language=en}}
In 2017 Tuff TV lost a case in civil court for Fair Labor Standards brought by a former employee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/7290170/idb/garmon-v-tuff-tv-media-group-llc/|title=FJC IDB Information for Garmon v. Tuff TV Media Group, LLC, 1:15-cv-04394 - CourtListener.com|website=CourtListener}}
Tuff TV, along with its parent company Seals Entertainment Company, ceased operations without announcement on August 26, 2018. The company eventually acknowledged the shutdown months later and indicated that they hoped to relaunch the channel by March 31, 2019; that date passed without a relaunch or any further news, and the site has only featured text indicating the network would be 'coming soon' with no set launch date. The network later claimed it would relaunch in 2022, but its current live stream is non-functioning, and no details about any new affiliation agreements or distribution details (be it as a broadcast subchannel or streaming network) have been made public.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sealsco.com Seals Entertainment Corporation (Sealsco)], parent corporation
{{North American DTV}}
{{American broadcast television}}
{{United States broadcast affiliates}}
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Category:Television channels and stations established in 2009
Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2018
Category:Sports television networks in the United States