Ken Hershman, the VP of Sports Programming for Showtime, speaks on why a Fedor deal was a good one for Strikeforce.
"If we were that irrelevant Dana wouldn't be making those comments. It's unfortunate but that's his personality and that's his style. To us it's a ringing endorsemnent of what we've done and what we've accomplished. Remember they have a 100 event head start on Strikeforce. What Scott's done in a very short time shows the power of Showtime as a vehicle."
HT: Cagewriter.com
almost 3 years ago
Nick Thomas
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Yeah, I know.
[wanking motion]
Keep firing Assholes!
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.
by Ubernoober on Aug 14, 2009 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Remember they have a 100 event head start on Strikeforce. What Scott’s done in a very short time shows the power of Showtime as a vehicle.
Or rather shows they had it easier with the groundwork the UFC had already put in for them in terms of growth and acceptance of the sport.
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Aug 14, 2009 2:08 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Is this the same guy who is in charge of boxing on Showtime? Because Showtime Boxing hasn’t been able to create one legit star in years. They don’t exactly have a good track record of promoting fighters properly.
And Dana White has talked this much smack about the IFL, WFA, EliteXC, Affliction, etc….. And they all went out of business. So Dana talking smack really doesn’t prove that Strikeforce or Showtime has done anything significant….
And their model doesn’t work in MMA. Upsets are to prevelent…. You can’t bank on a small stable of fighters like they want to.
He is making the Super 6 Tournament happen, which all Boxing fans are eagerly waiting for. That is something good for boxing and Showtime.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions
And do you really think the winner of that tournament will be a viable PPV attraction? Or increase Showtime subscribers substantially? Very unlikely.
It pleases the hardcore boxing fans, but does little to excite the casual fans.
Showtime literally hasn’t had a PPV attraction since Mike Tyson. That’s a long time of being inefficient. With boxing, they look second tier compared to HBO. With MMA, they look second tier compared to the UFC. Either way, that perception kills any chance they have of making headway. And 4 CBS shows a year won’t change that. Not to mention CBS is so fickle with ratings (as are the other major networks), that CBS won’t be an option for MMA if this boom dies down.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Aug 14, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Correction.
The adding of boxing tournaments and adding MMA on Showtime has already had a huge increase in their subscriptions. This was one of the main reasons EliteXC got a deal on CBS.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Hate to break this to you, but you might want to check your facts. Subscriptions to all the premium channels are down currently. Thank you economy.
by AlwaysRelaxing on Aug 14, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-what-recession-premium-cable-channels-continue/
—Subscriber revenue at Showtime Networks was up 6 percent during the fourth quarter, and that momentum appeared to be continuing into this year: Morgan Stanley estimates revenue will grow another 6 percent in 2009.
Nice try, I was stating a fact since Showtime started showing MMA.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Of course everything is down now, thank you economy.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Always behind on the information. Go check out the 2nd quarter information. Not as nice….
by AlwaysRelaxing on Aug 14, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Like I said, I was talking about 2008 when Showtime started showing MMA. Funny how you ignore those facts.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Television industry trade publication Variety.com is reporting that SHOWTIME’s subscription base rose by 11% during the fourth quarter of 2007.
The news is very interesting because CBS’s profit fell by 19% to $271 million last quarter. SHOWTIME is owned by CBS so it is surging upward during a time where many of the company’s other properties were on the decline.
Variety does not offer any analysis for the reason in SHOWTIME’s growth in subscribers, but it would be hard to discount the premium-based network’s decision to begin televising EliteXC events.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor vs. Ricco….. That is the fight people want to see!!! Forget Affliction… Ricco is the man!!
by AlwaysRelaxing on Aug 14, 2009 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL
Is it just me or did he absolutely “FORGET” that SF has prior shows before UFC 100 ???
I guess he’s new to the whole MMA thing.. lol
From MMAJunkie, make you wonder if Strikeforce was BS’ing with the press release. Not to mention their press release was completely unprofessional:
Baroni, though, said he wasn’t cut and simply declined to negotiate a deal that would have put him in the organization’s “Challengers” series and a fight with Erik Apple.
Where is this official press release anyways? I don’t see it anywhere.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Found it, thanks, though, odd that I didn’t get it.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedro or Edor…someone has to make up their mind.
by MMASuPreMaCy on Aug 14, 2009 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions
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