<P> ESPN Classic is an American digital cable and satellite television network that is owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (which owns 20%). The channel features rebroadcasts of famous sporting events, sports documentaries and sports - themed movies . Such programs include biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a marquee World Series or Super Bowl game, often with added commentary on the event . </P> <P> As of February 2015, ESPN Classic is available to approximately 25,516,000 television households (21.9% of households with at least one television set) in the United States . </P> <P> On October 1, 2014, ESPN Classic began a gradual transition into a video on demand - only service, with Dish Network becoming the first to discontinue carriage of the linear channel and carry it as a VOD service on that date . Other providers will follow suit on an unknown timetable . In December 2017, cable companies Comcast Xfinity and Altice USA dropped the ESPN Classic linear channel from their TV lineups . </P> <P> The channel was launched on May 6, 1995 as the Classic Sports Network . The Ada Oklahoma location of Post Newsweek cable with 6500 subscribers was the first cable system to carry the programming . CSN was founded by Brian Bedol and Steve Greenberg (son of Hank Greenberg), both of whom went on to launch College Sports Television (now CBS Sports Network)), with partial funding from Allen & Company . Initial programming for Classic Sports Network came in large part from Tom Ficara and TVS Television Network, who licensed 300 classic sports events from its TVS catalog . In 1997, ESPN, Inc. purchased Classic Sports Network for $175 million and relaunched it as ESPN Classic the following year . Throughout its history, dating back to its existence as Classic Sports Network, the channel's logo has incorporated a stylized silhouette intending to resemble a boxer . </P>

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