According to the The Sports Business Journal, Cablevision is going to launch a 24 hour mixed martial arts television network in the New York area on May 24th. MMAPayout has the story:
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.
The Sports Business Journal has more information regarding the new channel, quoted via the MMAPayout article, stating that it will also offer boxing and wrestling alongside its primary product of mixed martial arts action. Channel Zero is behind the channel's conception, a Canadian broadcaster that also helped create The Fight Network.
Obviously, the reach of this network, which as MMAPayout writer Jason Cruz points out is ironic due to New York's ban on MMA, is very small and limited. It will more than likely have no impact on the overall landscape of the sport without added subscriptions. The article quotes the number as being specific to that "tier" of programming, so I'm assuming it runs parallel with what a sports package would be on other carriers. If that's the case, Cablevision's actual reach is much larger, and the addition of the channel could cause more subscribers to add the tier.
The more interesting story is that New York hasn't legalized MMA, yet the amount of mixed martial arts action that New York residents can consume is going to be unrivaled in any part of the United States. Furthermore, Couture hopes to develop a business-oriented relationship with the UFC. While business comes first for Zuffa, I can't help but wonder if Dana White and company will sell their footage for a cut rate simply to flood the New York market with their product and get more interest in the region.
Cruz opines that this could serve as a litmus test for potential advertisers if the UFC intends to produce their own network in the future. It will be interesting to see what type of advertisers Fight Now! can get, and if the subscription base for Cablevision increases with the addition of the channel. With one of the UFC's greatest champions as a minority owner, it leads me to believe the UFC isn't far from influencing the success of the network.
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