Strikeforce-Showtime Press Release
by Michael Rome on Feb 5, 2009 8:01 PM EST
in MMA News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SHOWTIME JOINS FORCES WITH STRIKEFORCE FOR ALL-NEW LIVE MMA SERIES Series Debut Scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2009 on SHOWTIME NEW YORK (February 5, 2009)—Showtime Networks Inc. and World championship mixed martial arts (MMA) event producer Strikeforce have joined forces to create an all-new series of MMA events that will air live on SHOWTIME® as part of theSHOWTIME Sports franchise. The news was jointly announced today by Ken Hershman, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks, and Strikeforce Founder and CEO Scott Coker. The multi-year agreement calls for SHOWTIME to produce and televise up to 16 live events per year including Strikeforce world championship events as well as a series dedicated to showcasing up-and-coming fighters in the sport. The initial championship event is schedule for Saturday, April 11, 2009 at the HP Pavilion in “We are very excited to have the opportunity to deliver live Strikeforce events on the SHOWTIME premium television platform,” said Coker. “SHOWTIME is a forward-thinking innovator with a reputation for producing outstanding original programming in sports and entertainment. They have been a phenomenal partner in the past and we are looking forward to growing our relationship with them and bringing the Strikeforce brand of MMA to millions of SHOWTIME subscribers.” “Strikeforce has a history of presenting high-quality, compelling mixed martial arts events and we are thrilled to be able to bring their world-class events to our subscribers,” said Hershman. Hershman was responsible for pioneering the network’s entry into MMA in 2007, when SHOWTIME became the first premium network to televise the explosive sport. He continued, “This relationship with Strikeforce will allow SHOWTIME to continue to deliver some of the best MMA match-ups in the rapidly growing sport as well as to expose the future champions of MMA to our audience.” The agreement reunites SHOWTIME and Strikeforce following their successful “Shamrock vs. Baroni” event, presented by SHOWTIME PPV® in 2007. In the main event, former UFC middleweight champion and MMA legend, Frank Shamrock, submitted knockout artist, Phil “The New York Badass” Baroni, in the second round of action whereby Shamrock became the first-ever Strikeforce World Middleweight Champion. The historic event was followed up with a live SHOWTIME telecast of one of the sport’s most anticipated showdowns of all-time—Shamrock versus undefeated world kickboxing champion Cung Le—on March 29, 2008. In a battle that has since been proclaimed “Fight Of The Year” by industry experts and critics, Le seized the Strikeforce middleweight crown by pouring on a relentless offensive and fending off Shamrock’s counter attacks before breaking the defending champion’s arm with a hard roundhouse kick and forcing Shamrock to retire from the bout between rounds three and four. A martial arts promoter of over 23 years, Coker has gained widespread acclaim amongst industry colleagues and the media, including Rolling Stone magazine, Yahoo! Sports, and The San Jose Mercury News, for positioning his 14-year-old Strikeforce organization as a major player in the world’s fastest growing sport since its inaugural MMA event that hosted a capacity crowd of 18,265 at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006. The live gate figure also broke the then-all-time record for attendance at an MMA event held in Should note that the detail about Showtime producing up to 16 shows a year goes with what we know. That would be 8-10 Showtime shows, 4 CBS shows, and then possibly PPV shows down the line.
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I am also anxious to hear this. I get the feeling it won’t be the Dana reaction that everyone expects.
If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.
I will be absolutely shocked if he did not both know and approve of this deal.
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 5, 2009 8:45 PM EST up reply actions
Dana wants there to be competition.
The UFC is the industry leader, there is no question in anyone’s mind about that. And guys like Dana thrive on competition, there’s just no fear of someone coming and beating the UFC, in White’s mind.
Strikeforce is doing everything correctly to this point. If Coker stays smart, and doesn’t overextend here, it could be a fantastic development for Strikeforce, MMA and the UFC.
Dana’s got no reason to dislike the move. If he really had wanted to block the sale, he could have overbid Strikeforce and let the property die. He obviously didn’t want that.
There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.
Actually it sounds like someone did out bid for EliteXC but Strikeforce got the deal because CBS/Showtime thought they could work with the promotion.
Strikeforce has worked with Showtime before on the two EliteC co-promotions and they are a stable promotion. Showtime/CBS wanted someone they could work with and the UFC currently has no need for the Showtime contract and their shows would cost a lot more for CBS than Strikeforce shows would. Still if the UFC wanted to shoot a highball offer in as opposed to a competitive one it may of been taken purely to make more back from what was lost on ProElite, of course we don’t even know if it was Zuffa that had the high offer that was overlooked for Strikeforce so it’s all just speculation.
I don't think that Dana has anything against Strikeforce
The thing with Strikeforce is that it’s representatives have not said that they are directly competing with the UFC like Affliction or EliteXC has. Strikeforce just kind of does its own thing and leaves the UFC alone. In turn, Dana White from what I have read has nothing against Strikeforce and generally leaves them alone as well.
Absolutely true – the question is whether or not this affects that relationship. I’m waiting to hear his reaction, as it will largely determine the success of this venture.
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 5, 2009 8:49 PM EST up reply actions
MMA organizations pretty much live and die on it. He’s killed several.
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 6, 2009 3:20 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
For some people that just doesn’t seem to be an option, the org wars are more important than the sport to them and they have lost objectivity(and that goes both ways there are just as many blind nuthuggers as there are blind haters on the internet). What surprised me is that there were people who started to bash Strikeforce after Dana didn’t, it was almost like Dana not hating those guys made them less in some people’s eyes and that is really silly.
by who me on Feb 6, 2009 12:18 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
From Zach Arnold
Coker’s quick rise to getting Strikeforce on NBC, Showtime, and perhaps CBS is remarkable. It should not be discounted by any measure. This is good for MMA.
Didn’t you say something like there was no way in hell ANYONE would buy ProElite and they will never return? :)
My main concern was that the name EXC remain dead because of Standgate, and it will. In any event, I never said them getting bought would be bad for MMA. In fact, my main beef with EXC (well, other than fixing fights) was that their fighters have been unable to fight for months. Whether or not Zuffa likes this move, at least those people can work again.
by Derek Suboticki on Feb 5, 2009 9:00 PM EST up reply actions
It doesn’t look like ProElite was bought:
So I guess they’re stopping short of calling it an actual sale of the company, but according to Josh Gross it has been confirmed that Pro Elite and Strikeforce have finalized a transaction for an asset purchase. Here are the details, as of now:
• Strikeforce and ProElite agree to a limited asset purchase, including some fighter contracts and options for additional fighter contracts.
• Strikeforce obtains library footage for EliteXC events.
• Strikeforce obtains licensing of the ShoXC brand name.
• [Pro Elite] Paid off debt to CBS/Showtime.
• Showtime remains a partner with ProElite, same ownership stake.
Moving forward ProElite will not dissolve, as was previously expected. The company will continue to promote MMA events, primarily under the King of the Cage brand, though it still owns the rights to EliteXC-branded events…It has yet to be determined what it will do with other promotional brands.
http://www.cagepotato.com/pro-elite-confirms-transaction-assets-strikeforce
Now that the UFC will have competition that dosen’t make an ass out of itself, we might see Zuffa start pushing a little harder for deals and putting on great shows like we’ve been seeing.
Elite was a joke, Strikeforce is a “force” to be reckoned with…no pun intended! lol
You don't know that yet
We still have no idea how much dosh SF paid out for EXC. I just hope Coker has his numbers right and knows his revenue sources…
Coker had a great situation in California running Strikeforce, I doubt he took that large of a risk, considering how NO ONE would touch Elite, he probably got a sweet deal.
by Kaleb Kelchner on Feb 5, 2009 8:57 PM EST up reply actions
You only stay on top for so long...
While no one can dispute Zuffa’s monopoly in the US MMA market, that monopoly will eventually cease to exist and it is (slowly) starting now. If Coker plays his cards right, he can move his “B league” promotion to “A league” status, and it shouldn’t take that long. While SF is short of truly marketable stars, it won’t be long before they start snatching up unhappy UFC vets- not just UFC castaways. Most of us have been looking for competition in MMA promotions to level the playing field and while it is not here quite yet, it is on its way. I wonder if Zuffa is going to regret not buying EXC…. I can only assume Dana and Lorenzo know what they are doing, but this seemed, to me, like the perfect opportunity to pull another Pride and dismantle the Zombie organization.
Fedor
Arlovski
Overreem
Barnett
Shamrock
Cung Le
AKA fighters
by I don't wear mma t-shirts on Feb 5, 2009 9:13 PM EST reply actions
that monopoly will eventually cease to exist and it is (slowly) starting now
Uh, I haven’t a sniff of a clue how you’re coming up with this. I’d say if anything their monopoly is getting stronger, certainly stronger than this time last year.
Strikeforce is a great promotion but getting too big too fast will be a death knell for them just like all the orgs that cratered before them. Even insinuating that this announcement will have any immediate impact on the UFC is simply crazy.
by pr0cs on Feb 5, 2009 9:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
LOL,
a year or more ago…
IFL was on mynetwork tv every damn week.
Bodog was on ION.
and Elite XC was on showtime and CBS.
what happened to Zuffa? It only got stronger.
by mmalogic on Feb 5, 2009 11:46 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Showtime’s not particularly free.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
True. And I already get Showtime. I’m looking forward to watching more Strikeforce.
Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken
I guess… I think more like the 2nd tier monopoly is solidifying.
Strikeforce isn’t challenging the UFC at all; it’s going for minor league status. There’s a lot of space for an MMA promotion that does shows in secondary cities like Kansas City or Memphis or wherever that is big enough to fill an arena @ 100 bucks a ticket but not big enough to fill an arena @ 500 bucks a ticket.
In other words, the UFC is Cadillac to the Strikeforce’s Chevy. Strikeforce is setting up to be the RC Cola of MMA.
I don’t know why people think the UFC monopoly must fall.
NBA. MBL. NFL. NHL. FIFA. What sport doesn’t have one dominant league? It seems like its the natural order for sports franchises.
It should be a monopoly
And hopefully it will be eventually – but none of those started like that (and FIFA isn’t a monopoly – its akin to a sanctioning body). Soccer is a bit of a different animal because of it’s truly global nature. The rest of the ones that you listed are basically North American sports.
And Strikeforce will be challenging the UFC if they do well on CBS during 2009.
This means the death of Affliction. They will be completely irrelevant.
There's a WAMMA belt in my Cracker Jacks!
They wont need to be relevant as a fight promoter if they can get a good relationship with Strikeforce and or UFC to start using their shirts again.
At the end of the day, as long as there is a healthy alternative to UFC, be it a ‘home brand’ or something like Affliction/Strikeforce, then all promoters benefit from the increased activity and interest in the sport and the fans win with more match ups than any 1 promoter can make.
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