The Sports Business Journal reports that Cablevision is launching a channel focusing on MMA. Fight Now! will be offered on Cablevision’s sports and entertainment tier beginning May 24th.
Cablevision’s sports and entertainment tier is currently in 100,000-130,000 homes. The channel will only be offered on Cablevision for its New York audience. A bit of irony considering the ban on MMA in the state.
A description of Fight Now! from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association web site:
Fight Now!, America’s first 24 hour television channel dedicated to giving viewers a front row seat, seven days a week to experience the very best in boxing, wrestling/grappling, mixed martial arts and other combatant styles; along with top notch “fight theme” movies, documentaries and wrap around news coverage makes Fight Now! the untimate TV destination for fight fans.
The Sports Business Journal (subscription required) states that Randy Couture is a minority owner in the channel. The channel does not have a deal with the UFC although Couture is quoted as being hopeful of developing a relationship with the UFC.
Via SBJ:
The channel will include all combat sports — including boxing and wrestling — but will focus on mixed martial arts.
“What Speed is for motorized sports, we’ll be for combat sports,” Garrow said.
Channel Zero is backing Fight Now TV, which will be based in New York City. Channel Zero is an independent Canadian broadcaster that has launched 10 TV channels in Canada, including one called Fight Network.
Fight Now! has plans to develop original shows for the channel as well as showing complete live or taped events every night. There are no big ad deals at the moment although executives indicated that it is in talks with several companies.
Payout Perspective:
This will be an interesting glimpse into what could be the future of the UFC. While the channel will not be available to many homes, it should be an interesting look as to how viewers and advertisers respond to the channel. Will there be more people willing to upgrade to Cablevision’s sports and entertainment tier? Will advertisers be willing to spend its ad dollars on a non-UFC product? For the UFC, it will be a look at the demand for a 24 hour channel. If Couture is able to talk the UFC into providing content, the channel may find some success. But, it may be hard to start-up a channel without the UFC content.
I wonder what events they plan to show that aren’t already being covered by Spike, HDNet, Showtime, HBO, MTV2, Versus, FoxSports, ESPN, Epix (who showed the Klitschko-Solis fight and have plans to do more) or the Big Ten Network (who show big 10 wrestling). I can’t imagine there’s that much quality content out there in boxing, kickboxing and MMA that isn’t already tied to some channel somewhere. Already we see quality fights like Bellator’s struggling for viewership, I question that there is more room in the market place for a non-Zuffa 24-7 fight network.
I would guess that it will be like The Fight Network here in Canada. So 95% worthless with the odd event (The Its Showtime card last weekend) rarely thrown in.
There’s no chance in hell the UFC is going to give them any footage apart from maybe live prelims or Countdwn shows. Anything that could help PPV buys is a possibility, but don’t expect much more. The UFC has been quite protective of its content and slowly but surely building an impressive library with the acquisitions of rival organizations. Expect that content on a UFC channel in the near future.
They won’t even be able to show the “It’s Showtime” cards now that HDNet has signed that promotion. This just doesn’t sound like a good idea.
If I were them, top regional promotions would be my focus.