These days, hunting and fishing increasingly account for programming on ESPN and sister cable channel ESPN 2, which each reach more than 84 million households. Last year, the company inherited hundreds of hours of outdoor sport programming when it acquired the Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society in Huntsville, Ala., for about $40 million.

Bass fishing may not sound as sexy as snowboarding or motorcycle jumping, but consider this: Starting next month, ESPN 2 will be airing a show during prime time Mondays called "Fish On ..." that is modeled after the E! Channel show "Wild On ..." in which bikini-clad hostesses visit beaches around the world and report on the party scene. The ESPN 2 show "stars three females and one male, accomplished anglers who happen to also be attractive people, who visit exotic locations and go fishing," says an ESPN Outdoors spokesman. "And they partake in the nightlife."

The Outdoors division is also producing two other "sports entertainment" shows for ESPN 2's Monday nights, including a reality-type show called "True Outdoor Adventures" and an updated version of the old "American Sportsman" show in which sportscaster Curt Gowdy went hunting and fishing with eminent sports figures.