more bragging rights for MMA... LOS ANGELES--Feb. 28, 2008--The CBS Television Network and ProElite,Inc., a Los Angeles-based leading entertainment and media company that produces world class mixed martial arts (MMA) events, today jointly announced a multi-year agreement that will bring one of the fastest growing spectator sports to a major broadcast television network for the first time. CBS will broadcast four MMA events per year, produced by ProElite's EliteXC fight division, as two-hour live primetime specials targeted for Saturday nights. http://fightbeat.com/news_details.php?NW=21249
CBS has been trying to do this since the writers strike. I'm sour about it, because I'm a Boxing guy, but I've been saying since the Main Events Sunday Afternoon thing crash that MMA would be on Network TV before boxing does, even when the Tarver-Muriqi fight was supposed to be on ABC. That Tarver-Muriqi fight falling through was a big hit on boxing when it comes to being broadcast on network tv.
Saturday nights will be risky. Usually big boxing competition and maybe even ufc. Then throw in the young crowd having better things to do than stay home to watch minor league mma guys. . I've always thought Tuesday night was the weak night on tv and ripe for boxing (or mma, I suppose) to step in and get a market. USA network was stupid for giving up TNF instead of giving it to another netork, imo. Anyway, I don't see network exposure on a Saturday night having much of an effect on overall mma viewership, except it might get the kids who are too young to go out and if so, it will be huge. . It certainly is a big FU to boxing from tv and a big win for mma in the mma/boxing wars. Especially since mma is far more brutal, far more often.
