CBS to Air MMA Live in Prime Time

[DixieDestroyer]

Good news for MMA fans, it appears CBS will be airing 4 x 2 hours Saturday night ProElite MMA events. It's great to see the networks finally awakening to the awesome sport of MMA. On the downside, it (initially) appears they'll be doing alotta pro-Kimbo hype/marketing. I hope he faces Ken Shamrock & gets exposed. I definitely think Ken would have a much better chance than did out-of-shape, unmotivated Tank.

CBS to Air MMA Live in Primetime

Thursday, February 28, 2008
by Sherdog.com Staff

The CBS Television Network and ProElite Inc. announced a multi-year deal on Thursday that would make Elite Xtreme Combat, the mixed martial arts promotional arm of ProElite, available in primetime on major network television.

Four two-hour Saturday evening specials will air live on CBS in 2008.

"Mixed martial arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and a wildly popular entertainment vehicle for upscale, young adult audiences," Kelly Kahl, Senior Executive Vice President, CBS Primetime, said in a prepared statement. "It's original programming for Saturday night; it's live, creating an event-atmosphere; and it's something that hasn't been seen on network television, until now."

The relationship with CBS appears to be a prefect fit for ProElite, which partnered with Showtime, the CBS Corporation's premium channel, to carry EliteXC and ShoXC events beginning in 2007. Showtime will continue to produce EliteXC and ShoXC events.

"This is a pivotal moment for the sport of mixed martial arts now that a major television network plans to broadcast live MMA events during primetime hours," said Douglas DeLuca, Chief Executive Officer of ProElite, in a press release announcing the deal.

Terms of the standard licensing deal were not released. A representative for CBS characterized the agreement to Sherdog.com as "absolutely not a time buy."

According to Yahoo Sports, the first CBS-EliteXC telecast is planned for April; Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson is expected to be featured on an Atlantic City or Newark card. Slice, however, has been touting a potential fight against Ken Shamrock (Pictures) in June.

EliteXC drew its largest audience on Showtime with a Feb. 16 event from Miami, Fla. Over 500,000 viewers tuned in to watch Slice destroy David "Tank" Abbott in 43 seconds.

Online videos promoting the event totaled over two and a half million views on Sho.com, the network's Web site, a representative of Showtime told Sherdog.com. The strong numbers come on the heels of an 11-percent increase in Showtime subscriptions during the fourth quarter of 2007.

As part of the deal, CBS Interactive and ProElite.com will collaborate on generating interactive content for both companies' platforms, including CBSSports.com. The online offerings could include streaming of events, clips syndicated across the CBS Audience Network, and other enhanced content to build an online community around each CBS broadcast and ProElite event.

Thursday's announcement comes at a time when CBS ratings have slipped significantly among males 18-49 when compared to the network's totals this time last year; the young male demographic is largely credited as the reason for MMA's growing television profile.

***Reference article...

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=11528

 

[guest301]

This appears to be good news because I am a MMA fan and whites still mostly dominate the sport but I wonder if Elite XC will go out of their way to change that with fixed mismatches and propping up mediocre fighters like Slice. I will certainly be watching, Go Shamrock!

 

[Colonel Callan]

...I wonder if Elite XC will go out of their way to
change that with fixed mismatches and propping up mediocre fighters
like Slice. I will certainly be watching, Go Shamrock!

Of course they're going to attempt to rig fights. The UFC can even control
things by 'stacking' - keeping fighters they don't want out of their
organization. Boxing did it for decades by not only discouraging whites,
but also ignoring good white fighters, not allowing them to move up or
get a shot. Tin cans and awful fighters were allowed to be moved up to
serve as fodder for blacks etc. Look at who runs CBS etc. Hell, I wouldn't
doubt if some type of "alarm" has been sounded what with the white
domination of boxing and NHB fighting. They want to set things right.

If they do choose to create an artificial situation of non-white dominance,
will they be successful? We'll see. Look at Kimbo. People actually believe
he's good when anyone grounded in reality knows this fraud wouldn't last
at all with any decent MMA fighter out there. Profit isn't the only motive.
They're more concerned with control and brainwashing. Profit is later.
They have millions of idiotic fans who believe the Caste Myths, squeezing
their behinds into the seats for the NFL, NBA, MLB you name it, never
mind keeping them glued to the tube.

 

[aussieaussie31]

Shamrock is like 60 now. No, not really, but you know what I mean. Shamrock was a great fighter in his day but looked very bad in losing to Rich Franklin (who actually competes at Middleweight) and Tito. I realize both Tito and Franklin are very good but one guy fights at Middleweight and the other guy tito completely dismantled the veteran Shamrock who is a mere shell of his former self.

 

[White Shogun]

I think he may be talking about Frank Shamrock, Ken's adopted brother, who fights at middle weight. He has a fight coming up March 29 against Cung Le on Showtime.