Well, what do you know? Its my 100th entry for the year and on the note that its a big step comes big news. You MMArmaggedists know I reported that UFC was very close to a deal with American cable outlet FOX yesterday, as reported on by various sources. Now comes the announcement the deal has come to fruition : Seven years (which in my view, is a staggering amount of time given the fact that FOX only gave an established sports entity like the NFL 5 years their first deal), with up to 4 cards per year to air on the main network in prime time, the first of which was announced today which will be November 12th (most likely to air in Anaheim, California). In addition, premium cable networks FX and FUEL TV will air the usual mishmosh of UFC programming, including "Best of PRIDE", "Primetime", "Ultimate Knockouts", as well as flagship show "The Ultimate Fighter". In addition, the first season of TUF to air on the network will feature live fights and fan voting fights for the 2 seasons expected to air yearly.
There are a few things that come to mind when I see this, including :
5) What does this means for fans North of the Border? - Obviously, The promotion had a cable deal in place up here with Rogers Sportsnet in Canada first before this news. So, it doesn't mean we'll miss anything in terms of upcoming episodes of TUF. But does this mean we'll also have the chance to vote in, to see who goes in and who goes home? Will we get to see Kenda Perez more? Will weigh-in specials air live on Sportsnet as they do on the American channels? We'll see.
4) What does this mean for mainstream exposure? - When it comes to sports programming, FOX is essentially the top dog, having the NFL to NASCAR to the BCS in recent years, But is also remembered fondly for doing nonsensical experiments like the "FOXTrak" puck for NHL games. It will be interesting to see if they can generate more interest with casual fans without having to resort to gimmicks, like for example, a "FOXGlo" point on joints so you can see exactly how the arm is snapped in an armbar. Just saying.
3) Does this mean MMA is now a weekly event? - FOX has MLB and NFL, sports that during seasons, have a weekly game to look forward to showcase their games. Same with NASCAR. In between TUF seasons, will we see a weekly showcase of lower-tier talent, a la "Friday Night Fights"?
2) What does this mean for rival promotions? - With SPIKE essentially out of the picture (The last season will be number 14 featuring Michael Bisping and "Mayhem" Miller), does this mean that Bellator will make the move to SPIKE for a 6th Season, with their deal currently being with MTV2 and being in the same umbrella (company wise) as SPIKE? Very interesting to think about.
1) Does this finally mean, that there will be sanctioning in New York? - They have the most exciting fighter, a native New Yorker (Jon Jones) as a weight division champion. They have a deal with one of, if not, the biggest sports programmer in the world. If those 2 things alone don't get the State's Congress' attention now, I suppose we'll never see the Jones vs. Velasquez Heavyweight tilt at MSG I keep dreaming about.
Comments? Questions? Leave one at the bottom of the page or email me at mmarmaggeddon@gmail.com . Also feel free to follow me on Twitter, at twitter.com/mmarmaggeddon.
Until next time, fight fans!
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