The network first launched on January 7, 2009, as the Artists & Fans Network; the music video that inaugurated the network was the Kid Rock video "All Summer Long". AFN was first carried on satellite through DirecTV on channel 236. In August 2009, after suffering from financial problems, Southern Venture Capital Group sold all the assets of the company to one of the founders, Warren Hansen, who then changed its name to the American Music Video Network, and rolled out the programming with a new look and feel. On February 15, 2010, the company was renamed The Country Network to represent its focus on country music. Around this time, The Country Network began to transition into a digital multicast network, carried over-the-air on broadcast television stations across the United States as well as the first broadcast network to simulcast to Roku, iPhone, iPad, web, and other OTT outlets. On May 20, 2013, Zuus Media announced its acquisition of The Country Network. On June 1, 2013, Zuus Media announced the rebranding as Zuus Country. Zuus Country was to be the first of several music video networks of various formats. Only one of these other formats, Zuus Latino, ever made it to air. In January 2016, the network was purchased by a Texas-based company, TCNCountry LLC, with a 43,000-square-foot studio, production and broadcast facility. TCN Country change the brand back to The Country Network, reviving its original name and logo for the revival of the network.
Affiliates
As of 2013, Zuus Country has television stations in over 41 television markets in 26 states, covering approximately 34 million over the air households an 18 million cable subscribers. ZUUS Country signed a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group in August 2010 to be carried on digital subchannels of Sinclair stations in most of its media markets; the network began airing on Sinclair owned and/or operated stations on October 10, 2010. After Sinclair's original drop of several affiliates in late 2015, the network was down to 24 markets. When TCN Country LLC purchased the network, they immediately started growing the distribution and as of January 30, 2017 the network was up to 54 markets along with the launch of a Roku channel and a slot on smart TVs manufactured by Hitachi and Panasonic. As of 2019, most of The Country Network's affiliates are low-powered stations controlled by HC2 Holdings or its subsidiary DTV America.
