HDNet announces multi-year partnership with Mark Burnett Presents: King of the Cage
Network to Feature Internationally Recognized MMA Organization and Emmy Award Winning Producer
HDNet announces a multi-year partnership with “Mark Burnett Presents: King of the Cage,” in which, under terms of the agreement, the network will feature LIVE “King of the Cage” events every month.
The first event will air on HDNet on Friday, February 12 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
“King of the Cage and Mark Burnett are pioneers in their respective fields, and we are excited to feature ‘Mark Burnett Presents: King of the Cage’ on HDNet as part of our commitment to being the home of MMA,” said Mark Cuban, Chairman and Co-founder of HDNet. “The award-winning story telling of Mark Burnett will bring the personalities of MMA to life in a way that has never been seen before.”
“MMA fighters are some of the most fascinating personalities I have ever encountered, and I am excited about the opportunity to help KOTC to bring those characters to life on HDNet,” said Mark Burnett. “I am impressed with the quality of King of the Cage, and we look forward to bringing their brand to the next level in conjunction with Mark Cuban, who is one of the truly great entrepreneurs of media and sports.”
“King of the Cage is committed to delivering great fights while developing the stars of tomorrow in MMA,” said Terry Trebilcock, President of King of the Cage. “Working with Mark Burnett and HDNet provides us with the perfect platform to do just that.”
Founded in 1998, “King of the Cage” has become the most prolific MMA promoter in the United States, and has grown into an internationally recognized brand, with events in Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. It has launched the careers of many MMA superstars including Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson, and Urijah Faber.
Mark Burnett is a leading executive producer for primetime television, cable and the Internet, and has produced over 1,100 hours of television programming which regularly air in over 70 countries around the world. Burnett has revolutionized television with continuing hits such as “Survivor” (CBS), “The Apprentice” (NBC), the now syndicated “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” (FOX), which is currently being produced in 55 countries, the daytime syndicated hit “Martha,” and the hit series “Shark Tank” (ABC); giving Mark a different series on each of the four major networks.
Burnett also produces the MTV Movie Awards and Bully Beatdown (MTV). Burnett started off 2010 with a bang, producing the 36th annual People’s Choice Awards (CBS).
HDNets broadcast of Dream 12 to make history in Japanese Mixed Martial Arts
Network to deliver LIVE coverage of the debut of the ‘White Cage’ from Japan – Sunday, October 25
History will be made when the “White Cage” makes its debut on Sunday, October 25 as “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ LIVE from Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan. For the first time, a major Japanese MMA event will take place in the cage as DREAM forsakes its traditional ring for a one-night-only extravaganza! The action airs exclusively throughout North America on HDNet beginning at 2:00 a.m. ET.
The event features a trio of champions as Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Allistair Overeem (29-11) faces James Thompson (14-10), consensus top-five lightweight and Bellator Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez (18-2) squares off with Katsunori Kikuno (12-1-1), and DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis (12-3) meets Myeon Ho Bae (8-4). In other action, MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba (25-12-1) tangles with Zelg Galesic (9-4), former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe (12-5) takes on Yoshiro Maeda (25-7-2), and former WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (18-1) faces Yoon Dong-Sik (4-7).
HDNet Fights CEO Andrew Simon said, “The MMA world is watching to see what the ‘White Cage’ really is! There has been wild marketing around the cage in Japan which adds intrigue to a stacked card featuring 3 champions from 3 different organizations.”
HDNet’s live presentation of “HDNet Fights Presents: OLYMPIA DREAM 12″ begins early morning Sunday, October 25, 2:00 a.m. ET/Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 p.m. PT. An encore presentation is scheduled for Friday, October 30 at 10:30 pm ET.
Source: HDNet
5.3 million viewers tune in to see Kimbo Slice-Roy Nelson fight on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights on Spike TV
Easily Beats The Competition On Broadcast And Cable, Drawing Both Young Men And Women
Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” is the undisputed ratings champ on Wednesday nights. The most recent episode of the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” drew 5.3 million viewers, peaking at a staggering 6.1 million viewers on Wednesday, September 30 (10:00pm-11:00pm ET/PT). Featuring a fight between contestants Kimbo Slice and Roy Nelson, the telecast ranks as the most-watched episode of an original series in the six-year history of the channel* and the most-watched program of any kind in Men 18-34 and Men 18-49.
“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” was clearly the top-rated program on television on Wednesday with men in all key demographics including Men 18-34, M18-49, M18-24, and M25-34. It also was the most watched program among Persons 18-34 with a 4.7 rating (2.7 million), illustrating co-viewing among young men and women.
The episode also drew more Men 18-34 than anything else on television this week thus far, except Monday Night Football on ESPN. Also of note, only seven series in all of television this fall season drew more men 18-34, despite “The Ultimate Fighter” being in its tenth season.
Overall, the record-breaking telecast drew a 6.9 in Men 18-34 (2 million), a 5.4 in M18-49 (3.1 million), a household rating of 3.7 and 5.3 million total viewers.
The 6.1 million viewership peak at 9:45pm for the Kimbo Slice- Roy Nelson fight trumps any UFC programming ever on Spike TV. The previous mark was 5.9 million viewers for Rampage Jackson-Dan Henderson fight at UFC 75 in September, 2007. Also, the repeat at 11:00pm drew an impressive 1.5 million viewers. Thus, the combined audience of both telecasts reached 6.8 million viewers.
“The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights” features former UFC light heavyweight champions “Suga” Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as coaches and is the only installment in the show’s history to include only the heavyweight weight class (206+ lbs). The cast includes a list of notable athletes with impressive and diverse pedigrees including four former NFL players, UFC veterans, a former IFL heavyweight champ and a highly-publicized former EliteXC fighter, Kimbo Slice, who gained prominence through his non-sanctioned bouts on YouTube.
*the previous record was 4.1 million viewers for the premiere of “The Ultimate Fighters: Heavyweights” was set September 16, 2009.
Source: Spike TV