CBS punches up Saturday nights (Mixed Martial Arts)
02-28-08, 03:19 PM
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CBS punches up Saturday nights (Mixed Martial Arts)
http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...&cs=1&nid=2565
Chris
Posted: Thurs., Feb. 28, 2008, 10:38am PT
CBS punches up Saturday nights
Network to offer mixed martial arts
By STUART LEVINE
CBS is in a fighting mood.
The Eye will begin offering mixed martial arts events as two-hour Saturday night specials. There will be four MMA telecasts each year, and while no specific date has been set for the first bout, it’s looking like the first punch will be thrown in April or May. Broadcasts are likely to begin at 9 p.m.
ProElite, which has a previous relationship with CBS’ cable sibling Showtime, will produce the entire package -- both the telecast and the bouts on the card. There have been no word on who will sit ringside call the fights, and the announcing team could come from both ProElite’s rank and CBS Sports.
Many layers of the Eye are involved in bringing MMA to the network. The shows are licensed by the entertainment division and the net’s online division, as well as ProElite’s, may offer online streaming of fights.
This will be the first time mixed martial arts have found a place on a network’s primetime schedule.
“This is a sport on the rise,” said CBS senior exec VP Kelly Kahl. “The wrestling numbers have softened a bit and this sport may be able to siphon off some of those fans. It’s a lot more upscale than people realize.”
MMA, which has been drawing solid numbers on Showtime, is certainly a way for CBS to increase its 18-34 male demo, which has always been a rough spot for CBS -- as well as all the broadcast nets. Currently CBS airs low-rated repeats of its crime procedurals on Saturday night, as well as an edition of “48 Hours.”
World Wrestling Entertainment, which just signed with MyNetwork TV after ending a relationship with the CW, has been a successful primetime entity for a while. WWE joined forces with UPN in 1999 and pro wrestling was a Saturday latenight night staple on NBC for years in the 1980s.
While pro wrestling is clearly defined as entertainment and not sport and therefore its violence mitigated, mixed martial arts can have its violent side. But, Kahl said the Eye is well aware and that other sports -- much more popular than MMA -- are clearly rough as well.
“Yes, this is a violent sport, but football is violent too,” he explained. “There are plenty of violent sports. People who tune in know what they’re getting.”
Although Kahl would say whe clear who would own the advertising revenue, this was not a time buy for the network.
“This was a way to kick up our Saturday nights,” Kahl said. “It’s a perfect marriage.”
CBS punches up Saturday nights
Network to offer mixed martial arts
By STUART LEVINE
CBS is in a fighting mood.
The Eye will begin offering mixed martial arts events as two-hour Saturday night specials. There will be four MMA telecasts each year, and while no specific date has been set for the first bout, it’s looking like the first punch will be thrown in April or May. Broadcasts are likely to begin at 9 p.m.
ProElite, which has a previous relationship with CBS’ cable sibling Showtime, will produce the entire package -- both the telecast and the bouts on the card. There have been no word on who will sit ringside call the fights, and the announcing team could come from both ProElite’s rank and CBS Sports.
Many layers of the Eye are involved in bringing MMA to the network. The shows are licensed by the entertainment division and the net’s online division, as well as ProElite’s, may offer online streaming of fights.
This will be the first time mixed martial arts have found a place on a network’s primetime schedule.
“This is a sport on the rise,” said CBS senior exec VP Kelly Kahl. “The wrestling numbers have softened a bit and this sport may be able to siphon off some of those fans. It’s a lot more upscale than people realize.”
MMA, which has been drawing solid numbers on Showtime, is certainly a way for CBS to increase its 18-34 male demo, which has always been a rough spot for CBS -- as well as all the broadcast nets. Currently CBS airs low-rated repeats of its crime procedurals on Saturday night, as well as an edition of “48 Hours.”
World Wrestling Entertainment, which just signed with MyNetwork TV after ending a relationship with the CW, has been a successful primetime entity for a while. WWE joined forces with UPN in 1999 and pro wrestling was a Saturday latenight night staple on NBC for years in the 1980s.
While pro wrestling is clearly defined as entertainment and not sport and therefore its violence mitigated, mixed martial arts can have its violent side. But, Kahl said the Eye is well aware and that other sports -- much more popular than MMA -- are clearly rough as well.
“Yes, this is a violent sport, but football is violent too,” he explained. “There are plenty of violent sports. People who tune in know what they’re getting.”
Although Kahl would say whe clear who would own the advertising revenue, this was not a time buy for the network.
“This was a way to kick up our Saturday nights,” Kahl said. “It’s a perfect marriage.”
Chris
02-28-08, 03:26 PM
#2
Senior Member
Kimbo Slice is on the front page of yahoo. Hell has officially frozen over.
BTW - I'm super-stoked for some network MMA. I just hope it isn't watered down. Don't lose the EliteXC stripper chicks, dammit! Keep hope alive!
BTW - I'm super-stoked for some network MMA. I just hope it isn't watered down. Don't lose the EliteXC stripper chicks, dammit! Keep hope alive!
02-28-08, 04:12 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Mixed feelings about this... Love that MMA is getting bigger, hate that Kimbo Slice is going to be the face of it. Hopefully Elite can sign some decent HWs to beat his ass.
02-28-08, 04:30 PM
#4
DVD Talk God
Anything for more free events, I'm happy with. All it is going to take is one "real" fighter to take Kimbo to the ground and he won't be the face of Elite anymore. 
02-28-08, 04:50 PM
#5
My brother is a big UFC/MMA fanboy, I've watched a few PPVs but only the highly advertised ones (Ortiz/Shamrock, Liddell/Ortiz, Liddell/Silva), and don't really follow it much. I had read rumblings about UFC or Cuban's MMA outfit trying to get Floyd Mayweather to fight. So I asked my brother what a top UFC fighter gets for a big fight - he thought maybe a couple million including endorsements? Is that halfway close?
Now this week Mayweather/WWE announce he's going to be at Wrestlemania for $20MM. He made IIRC about $35MM for the De La Hoya fight?
Now I've been hearing for the last couple years how UFC and MMA are becoming more popular than boxing, boxing is going downhill, etc. etc. etc.
So what's the real story? Are UFC owners (White?) keeping a shit-ton of the profits and not distributing PPV takes in the same way boxing PPVs are distributed to the fighters? Or is boxing actually still THAT much more of a money maker?
For somebody who doesn't pay attention to it a lot like myself, it would seem UFC/MMA/Dana White/etc. have gotten good at marketing their organizations, but aren't nearly as profitable as boxing promoters (and good boxers) are...at least yet.
Just curious.
Now this week Mayweather/WWE announce he's going to be at Wrestlemania for $20MM. He made IIRC about $35MM for the De La Hoya fight?
Now I've been hearing for the last couple years how UFC and MMA are becoming more popular than boxing, boxing is going downhill, etc. etc. etc.
So what's the real story? Are UFC owners (White?) keeping a shit-ton of the profits and not distributing PPV takes in the same way boxing PPVs are distributed to the fighters? Or is boxing actually still THAT much more of a money maker?
For somebody who doesn't pay attention to it a lot like myself, it would seem UFC/MMA/Dana White/etc. have gotten good at marketing their organizations, but aren't nearly as profitable as boxing promoters (and good boxers) are...at least yet.
Just curious.
02-28-08, 04:53 PM
#6
DVD Talk God
Originally Posted by aktick
So I asked my brother what a top UFC fighter gets for a big fight - he thought maybe a couple million including endorsements? Is that halfway close?
So what's the real story? Are UFC owners (White?) keeping a shit-ton of the profits and not distributing PPV takes in the same way boxing PPVs are distributed to the fighters? Or is boxing actually still THAT much more of a money maker?
So what's the real story? Are UFC owners (White?) keeping a shit-ton of the profits and not distributing PPV takes in the same way boxing PPVs are distributed to the fighters? Or is boxing actually still THAT much more of a money maker?
To answer the second paragraph, yes, the UFC is keeping most of the profit. That's why many, many fighters have come out and verbalized disappointment to frustration with the organization.
Usually the UFC PPVs draw more viewers, except for the really, really big fights (De La Hoya, Marriweather, etc..)
02-28-08, 05:15 PM
#7
Originally Posted by Deftones
Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz both have badmouthed the UFC for the way they do business. I think the "main" guys usually get about $250k to fight, and a percentage of the PPV totals. That usually ends up being about $750k or so.
To answer the second paragraph, yes, the UFC is keeping most of the profit. That's why many, many fighters have come out and verbalized disappointment to frustration with the organization.
Usually the UFC PPVs draw more viewers, except for the really, really big fights (De La Hoya, Marriweather, etc..)
To answer the second paragraph, yes, the UFC is keeping most of the profit. That's why many, many fighters have come out and verbalized disappointment to frustration with the organization.
Usually the UFC PPVs draw more viewers, except for the really, really big fights (De La Hoya, Marriweather, etc..)
Of course I'm making it sound like the UFC is directly competing with boxing, which I don't think is the case, as the fan bases are a bit different IMO. But I do think the masses marvel at the "big money" that big boxing matches will pay their boxers, and attract more fans because of it. Sort of how people are obsessed with Britney Spears or Paris Hilton because they are filthy loaded (in addition to being filthy), and couldn't give a shit about somebody in the UP of Michigan who isn't rich acting the same way. People don't care that a business is making good money, that's not exciting or sexy. But if Randy Couture or Chuck Liddell were getting even $10 million a fight (pulling that number out of my ass, no idea what the PPV brings in to pay out from), I think more people would pay attention, no? It'd certainly get my attention more than the $750k number you threw out.
I don't really care what they do one way or another, as I'm not a big fan, but it's just interesting to me how they are going about trying to build their sport.
02-28-08, 05:19 PM
#8
DVD Talk God
This is what is listed on Wikipedia:
I only know that Tito got similar deals with the UFC after comments he made on the Howard Stern Show recently. He didn't discuss exact figures, but I'd imagine they are similar to what Couture got.
On October 11, 2007, Couture announced that he was severing all ties with the UFC, leaving two contracted fights, a position as an on-air analyst, and his heavyweight championship behind. Reportedly he received $250,000 plus $936,000 of PPV revenue for his comeback against Tim Sylvia. He also reportedly received a $250,000 purse for defeating Gabriel Gonzaga, as well as a $35,000 bonus for "Fight of the Night" and $787,000 in PPV revenue.[6] This became a sticking point since Chuck Liddell lost his two previous fights yet is still paid more than Couture, according to Couture. Randy cited the UFC's failure to sign #1 ranked heavyweight fighter Fedor Emelianenko, as well as disputes with UFC management.
02-28-08, 09:50 PM
#9
DVD Talk Legend
Well to be fair, before Couture beat Sylvia, he was a washed up, over the hill fighter who probably no one would have paid much to fight for their organization... After that fight though, it pretty much changed his life around. But I agree that the UFC is going to have to make some changes to their business model if they want to stay on top of their game. Fact is, this is a great move by Elite XC and if they can get some more cash under their belts, they will be able to take the fighters away from the UFC.
