U.K. Promotion Lands TV Deal
Two days before its sixth event, Cage Gladiators announced Thursday
a groundbreaking deal with ITV4 that will see MMA appearing on
terrestrial (non-satellite) television in the United Kingdom. The
agreement marks a massive break into the mainstream, according to
Cage Gladiators promoter Chris Zorba.
"I think to get it on a terrestrial channel has been one major obstacle MMA has had," said Zorba, whose promotion is based in Liverpool, England. "It's just all the ignorance really from day one, [and] now we're turning people around to get them to understand that it's not like cockfighting, bare-knuckle fighting.
"All the publicity it's had from America with the UFC coming over, it's starting to become more mainstream. It is a technical sport. These fighters are so skilled and have to master so many different arts to fight in a cage."
Available in millions of homes throughout the United Kingdom, "free view" channel ITV4 averages 105,000 viewers for each show, with peaks of more than 500,000. In what is quite a coup for a U.K. promotion, the station will broadcast two one-hour Cage Gladiators shows that are set to include footage of fighters training for the event in addition to action from the promotion's upcoming April show.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, these programs will air at midnight on May 18.
It's no secret that the sport has at times struggled to gain acceptance in parts of the United Kingdom. Some local authorities have gone so far as to refuse permission to allow MMA events to take part on council-owned property.
This announcement that a terrestrial television network will be broadcasting footage of an event could come to represent a watershed in the acceptance of the sport, which has gradually seeped into the national consciousness for a number of years.
As things stand now, however, is the general British public ready to accept MMA on their screens? Yes, Zorba answered without hesitation.
"I'll tell you one of the reasons why it is ready," he said. "It's because the people who like fighting, the boxing audience, are so disillusioned with [boxing]. We had a professional boxing show at the Olympia last week, and it pulled about 400 people. Whereas Cage Gladiators next week is going to be sold-out -- 1,500. I think that people are voting with their feet, to be honest."
"I think to get it on a terrestrial channel has been one major obstacle MMA has had," said Zorba, whose promotion is based in Liverpool, England. "It's just all the ignorance really from day one, [and] now we're turning people around to get them to understand that it's not like cockfighting, bare-knuckle fighting.
"All the publicity it's had from America with the UFC coming over, it's starting to become more mainstream. It is a technical sport. These fighters are so skilled and have to master so many different arts to fight in a cage."
Available in millions of homes throughout the United Kingdom, "free view" channel ITV4 averages 105,000 viewers for each show, with peaks of more than 500,000. In what is quite a coup for a U.K. promotion, the station will broadcast two one-hour Cage Gladiators shows that are set to include footage of fighters training for the event in addition to action from the promotion's upcoming April show.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, these programs will air at midnight on May 18.
It's no secret that the sport has at times struggled to gain acceptance in parts of the United Kingdom. Some local authorities have gone so far as to refuse permission to allow MMA events to take part on council-owned property.
This announcement that a terrestrial television network will be broadcasting footage of an event could come to represent a watershed in the acceptance of the sport, which has gradually seeped into the national consciousness for a number of years.
As things stand now, however, is the general British public ready to accept MMA on their screens? Yes, Zorba answered without hesitation.
"I'll tell you one of the reasons why it is ready," he said. "It's because the people who like fighting, the boxing audience, are so disillusioned with [boxing]. We had a professional boxing show at the Olympia last week, and it pulled about 400 people. Whereas Cage Gladiators next week is going to be sold-out -- 1,500. I think that people are voting with their feet, to be honest."
