Velocity to bump HD Theater

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Discovery Network’s HD Theater, the first all-HD channel, is about to be shown the door after a nine-year run.

Silver Spring-based Discovery said Monday that HD Theater will be replaced later this year with Velocity, also a high def channel, but one that is positioned as an “upscale male lifestyle network.” Programming initially is going to be heavy on motorcycles, high-stakes gambling and classic cars — the channel’s logo itself would look right at home on the hood of a 1957 Chevy Bel Air. The channel will also feature “insider guides to the good life.”

“In the same way that a car once defined the person who drove it, Velocity will define the viewer who watches it,” said Robert S. Scanlon, senior vice president of Velocity, in the press release announcing the channel. “Whether you are a car aficionado or just someone who prefers fast-paced, high-stakes television, Velocity will become a must-have entertainment destination.”

Discovery is making the change in a bid to woo advertisers looking to woo customers who are looking for the good life their products and services claim to offer — like maybe these guys featured on the channel’s Facebook page.

“As the first network devoted to the upscale men’s market, Velocity will be a hub for viewers within this key demographic, as well as the wealth of advertisers that target them,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, in a statement.

The old HD Theater was founded in 2002 and is a staple of cable TV system lineups. The channel got its start simulcasting all of the Discovery stations’ programming from the Discovery Channel to Animal Planet. A look at this week’s schedule shows like “Mantracker,” “American Chopper,” “What’s My Car Worth? and “Chasing Classic Cars” on the lineup.