Are CBS and Showtime Planning on Staying in MMA?
by Kid Nate on Oct 23, 2008 9:28 AM EDT
in MMA News
Email
PrintYesterday, MMA Payout noticed something important in the SEC report by EliteXC CBS/Showtime had declared ProElite in violation of the terms of their $6.3million loan. This creates a possibility that CBS/Showtime will seize all the assets of the company, including the fighter contracts.
Now Josh Gross is hearing a bit more talk along those lines:
Perhaps the most interesting bit of information from this mess deals with the contracts of ProElite's fighters. One of the managers I talked to said Elite might not be able to free fighters right away as CBS might have a right to the contracts. The network had a promissory note with Elite which didn't get paid. Like a lien on property, their only assets to collect are the fight contracts. This contradicts suggestions on Tuesday that fighters under contract to ProElite before it went belly up would likely be free and clear to negotiate with other promoters.
There's no evidence that the suits at CBS can run an MMA organization but maybe they'd let someone competent from within the EliteXC ranks rise up and run the show.
HT MMA Convert
21 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Sir.......
There’s no evidence that the suits at CBS can run an MMA organization but maybe they’d let someone competent from within the EliteXC ranks rise up and run the show.
Do you also believe in Bigfoot?
as I continue talking to myself...
I’m not busting your balls btw, Kid. I’m just saying ‘no such thing exists’
Maybe they could get this “Dana White” guy I’ve been hearing about.
Likely scenario: CSI reruns ad nauseum.
so why isn’t showtime pursuing the fighter contracts seems like showtime is a better fit for mma. I mean don’t get me wrong mma on network tv is cool but why would cbs risk it when they can pull the same kind of numbers with a show like dancing with the stars or something like that.
CBS is part of the deal, but as far as MMA productions go, I don’t see how Showtime couldn’t put together a competent team to run ZombieXC.
The video library of EliteXC would presumably be the other major asset Showtime/CBS is going to covet.
Also I believe they could aquire the farm promotions that EXC had under their umbrella. I called this a month ago here. Basically they can aquire all of EXC’s assets. Without all that pesky debt that sunk EXC. Add in that they have bottomless pockets. If they have to desire to make a go at MMA. They can basically take it as far as they want to.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
CBS corperation doesn’t have bottomless pockets, heck in these economic conditions no one does. CBS has been laying off employees all year and have been cutting their budget back, just because they are a big company doesn’t mean that they have big piles of cash to throw at MMA.
NBC Universal has as well.
So MMA on Network TV doesn’t look good then huh?
ViaCom also owns SpikeTV. I wonder how that will go.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Oct 23, 2008 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
UFC is tried and true as far as cost and tv ratings are concerned, they aren’t risk for SpikeTV they are one of the cornerstones of the network. For NBC I can see them paying Strikeforce to put MMA shows on tv but I can’t see them buying in as a partner in the promotion.
CBS has money to buy a MMA program just like they buy the other programs they air, that’s completely different than starting up your own MMA organization and funding it’s growth just to get a tv show. MMA as programing and MMA as a business investment is two completely separate things, it’s the investment part that came back and bit CBS in the ass not the airing of MMA programming. I just can’t see them dumping tens of millions of dollars into starting their own MMA organization when they can just buy programming from existing brands much the way HDNet has ended up doing.
That video library will be helpful to whoever ends up getting most of the fighter contracts.
Zuffa has some old tape on some of the fighters that have been in UFC/WEC in the past, but that video will be very helpful to promote people like Shields, Bigfoot, Rogers, etc.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but even a 30 second highlight shown right before a fight can give fans who don’t know who the fighter is at least a glimpse of who is about to fight, which is important.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
