On November 24, 2000 Global Television Network Inc., a subsidiary of
Canwest, was granted approval by the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to launch a national English-language Category 2 specialty television service called
Extreme Sports, described as
"featuring the best of "off-beat" sports programming that will give Canadians the opportunity to live vicariously through the ultimate high associated with such extreme pastimes as high altitude sky diving, cliff diving, white water rafting, and mountain climbing." The channel launched on September 7, 2001, as
X-Treme Sports. Due to the
2008 financial crisis and a mounting debt load, Canwest shut X-Treme Sports on October 9, 2008. Through its official statement, Canwest cited low growth potential as the reason for its closing of the service, noting funds would be better directed to other channels with greater growth potential. The channel later closed on October 9 as expected. In December 2010,
Leonard Asper, the former CEO of Canwest by that point after the assets were sold to Postmedia and Shaw, acquired
Fight Network through his Syngus Corp. holding company via its
Anthem Media Group marking the return of sports television ownership. ==Programming==