Strikeforce Signs Global Distribution Deal With Shine International
Press Release — Shine International has signed a global distribution deal with STRIKEFORCE, one of the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotions, to sell its entire library of television programming, including more than 70 hours of content, to international markets.
“Mixed martial arts is quickly becoming one of the most dynamic and popular sports in the world. The Strikeforce brand already represents the absolute best of this business domestically, and Shine International is thrilled to help them extend their brand internationally,” said Chris Grant, President of Shine International. “Strikeforce attracts the world’s best fighters and their events are superior to any others being offered to international broadcasters today. They are ideal partners for us.”
“We are excited about the opportunity to bring STRIKEFORCE fights to the homes of MMA fans throughout the world,” said STRIKEFORCE Founder and CEO Scott Coker. “Shine International is a world renowned leader in the international television business and, with their support, we are confident that we will be able to greatly expand the scope of the STRIKEFORCE brand.”
The STRIKEFORCE library of programming includes 30 episodes of previously recorded fights that have aired on NBC and more than 56 hours of fights that have aired on SHOWTIME®. The deal between STRIKEFORCE and Shine International also encompasses new, upcoming live fights through February 2012 as well as STRIKEFORCE Challengers fights, pitting STRIKEFORCE up-and-comers against each other. STRIKEFORCE recently announced its first broadcast on CBS to air live fights on the U.S. network, further increasing the leagues exposure, with the first event slated for November 7, 2009 at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena.
STRIKEFORCE has experienced significant growth since it launched its MMA series with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event that played host to a capacity crowd of 18,265 at San Jose, California’s HP Pavilion on March 10, 2006. After signing a landmark deal to air live events on SHOWTIME earlier this year, STRIKEFORCE earned the premium network its highest MMA rating ever on August 15, 2009 with “Carano vs. Cyborg.” Shortly before the live telecast, the main event principals—Gina Carano and Cris “Cyborg” Santos—were the most searched terms on Yahoo! and Google, while the fight was the most discussed subject on Twitter.
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Let me hear your best Dana White smear campaigns to devalue this news.
Here’s mine:
if coker and these goofy idiots want there crappy fights being rerun to cleft lip African babies, third world countries, and hate mongors hiding in caves that’s fine with me. At the end of the day I rock and strikeforce and M-1 are a bunch of goofballs losing money.
Or, we could just be glad that more MMA content is reaching a larger audience, and be glad for the Scott Coker and the guys over at Strikeforce who are trying hard to present some sort of alternative to the UFC…
I agree with you I was just trying to look into my crystal ball that’s shaped like Dana whites head.
And yeah, I’m sure its just a matter of time before Dana White abandons his “Scott Coker is a good guy” stance and starts opening up about Strikeforce’s “sh!tty talent” and “sh!tty production values” and “God-fu<king-awful fight cards" and so on…
Its a business, but with most of “us” fans know that he has nothing personal against Scott Coker and if he were to personally attack Coker people would realize he was full of it… I do however see him saying something about co promoting with FEG and well M~1 (F~Finkledinkle) but to personally attack Coker, I just don’t see it…
Good stuff for Coker and Strikeforce…..
Why does everyone who makes a deal with Strikeforce say things like “Strikeforce attracts the world’s best fighters and their events are superior to any others…” WTF!?!?
That would be like people making deals with minor league baseball and saying “We know the best of the best play here so were doing business with them.”
I guess its like Milwaukees Best saying their beer is the most refreshing…Perhaps as I get further in my Applied Business: Information Technology curriculum I’ll learn that openly lying to the public is good marketing strategy. As a former business owner without a formal degree however I never lied to clients or the public about services offered.
Strikeforce offers “The Absolute Best”. Yeah and so does arena football and water polo. Get the fxck outta here!
I don’t see why a television company would say “We signed a deal with the second, maybe third best MMA organization.” Of course they’re going to say they have a deal with the best.
I see both point. Perhaps signing a deal with a “top-tier MMA organization” would be a better way to say it. Either way, it is lying to say that Strikeforce is in the same hemisphere as the absolute best anything, unless you are referring to alternatives to the UFC.