SHOWTIME STEPPING UP MMA COVERAGE
Posted on | July 19, 2007 | 1 Comment
SHOWTIME TO DEBUT NEW MIXED MARTIAL ARTS SERIES
ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series
Series Premiere Friday, July 27, Live at 11 p.m. ET/PT (except on West Coast)
NEW YORK (July 19, 2007) – Showtime Networks Inc. and mixed martial arts organization EliteXC officially announced today the debut of a new series on the premium television network, ShoXC: Elite Challenger Series. The series will premiere live on Friday, July 27 at 11 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast), from Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif.
Following the successful model of the network’s critically acclaimed, prospect-oriented boxing series ShoBox: The New Generation, ShoXC will put talented, up-and-coming fighters on the fast track to stardom. The mission of the series is to pit young fighters against quality opposition in tough, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches.
“This network and our partners at EliteXC have made a long-term commitment to developing the sport of professional mixed martial arts,” said Ken Hershman, senior vice president and general manager, Showtime Sports & Event Programming. “ShoXC is one of the most important components to that development. Now, young fighters will have an elite proving ground to showcase their talents on national television. In addition, the fans now can track MMA’s future stars as they develop their fighting style and skills.”
ShoXC will air regularly on Saturday nights—following the Friday premiere—and will feature fighters from all over the world. In the debut episode, matches will take place in a 20’ x 22’ foot hexagon cage. MMA fights on other ShoXC telecasts may take place in a cage or a ring.
“‘ShoBox’ is a truly unique, one-of-a-kind series for the true boxing fan,” added Hershman. “’ShoBox’ has introduced fans to many of today’s top fighters, including more than 15 current world champions. We expect the same kind of success stories to come out of ShoXC.”
Gary Shaw, EliteXC President, Live Events said, “I believe that ShoXC will be as popular and important to the MMA audience as ShoBox is to boxing.’’
The initial two-hour ShoXC telecast will feature up to five fights with Edson Berto of Orlando, Fla., facing K.J. Noons of San Diego (155-pound match) in the main event. Also on the card, Aaron Wetherspoon of Irvine, Calif., will meet hometown champion Jeremiah Metcalf of Santa Ynez in a King of the Cage/Gladiator Challenge welterweight championship unification match.
And, as is the precedent for EliteXC, additional fights will be streamed live on the Internet (www.ProElite.com) immediately following the telecast.
EliteXC announcer Mauro Ranallo will handle play-by-play for ShoXC with highly regarded color analyst Stephen Quadros, The Fight Professor, at his side. The executive producer of ShoXC is David Dinkins, Jr. with Richard Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.
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About Pro Elite, Inc.
ProElite Inc. delivers the most exciting entertainment experience in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) with live arena-based entertainment events, cable television programming on Showtime Networks and community-driven interactive broadband entertainment via the Internet. ProElite embraces MMA with the highest levels of honor, integrity, discipline and self-esteem all the while remaining inclusive for fighters, fans and schools. ProElite’s live fight division, EliteXC, delivers spectacular live MMA fight events that showcase the world’s top fighters. ProElite’s interactive business, ProElite.com, capitalizes on the growing popularity of the sport of mixed martial arts by building a community of mixed martial arts enthusiasts. In addition to streaming the most exciting live fights to the web, ProElite expands the fan base of the sport by providing a comprehensive set of online social networking tools for fans, fighters and organizations. ProElite.com – Empowering the Fight Community TM
About Showtime Networks Inc.
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME® TOO™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE® and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD™, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND™ and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME® PPV.