Chuck Liddell vs Rich Franklin to be shown Live in Movie Theaters
May 14, 2010
(PRESS RELEASE) -- Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) and NCM
Fathom are teaming up again to bring the raw excitement of UFC
events to local movie theaters with UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin,
broadcast LIVE in high definition on Saturday, June 12 at 10:00
p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. Former light-heavyweight champion and UFC
legend Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will take on former middleweight
champion Rich “Ace” Franklin in the main event broadcast live from
General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to 337
select movie theaters nationwide.
Tickets for the live event in Vancouver sold out in less than 30 minutes, setting a record for the fastest sell-out in UFC history. Eager fans can catch all the action in their local theaters by purchasing tickets at www.FathomEvents.comand at presenting theater box offices. Visit the NCM Fathom website for a complete list of theater locations and prices (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“Our fans have told us they were thrilled to have UFC 111 in movie
theatres,” said UFC President Dana White. “They loved watching it
with other fans and the whole experience of seeing UFC in hi-def on
the big screen. Now fans can see UFC 115 with Chuck Liddell vs.
Rich Franklin, plus Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry and Paulo Thiago
vs. Martin Kampmann in theatres on Saturday, June 12th live from
the sold-out GM Place in Vancouver."
UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will be the first-ever fight between these legends and former champions. The 40-year-old Liddell was the light heavyweight champion from April 2005 to May 2007 and Franklin was the middleweight champion from June 2005 to October 2007. Select undercards will also be shown in theaters leading up to the main event including Mirko “Cro Cop” vs. Pat Barry, Paulo Thiago vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann, Carlos Condit vs. Rory “The Water Boy” MacDonald and Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell.
A fighter with dynamite in both fists and a champion who is known around the world, Liddell (fighting out of San Luis Obispo, Calif. / 21-7 professional record) has faced the best and beaten the best. With an amazing 10 knockouts in the UFC, with seven of those coming consecutively, Liddell is considered one of the greatest strikers in UFC history. With wins over Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, this UFC Hall of Famer has cemented a legacy for himself in the sport of mixed martial arts. Liddell is also known to fans as the coach on The Ultimate Fighter® Season 11, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV.
A former high school math teacher turned world-class mixed martial artist, Franklin (fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio / 27-5-0 1 NC) holds memorable wins over Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hamill, Jason MacDonald and Nate Quarry. The former UFC middleweight champion holds 12 wins in the UFC, has moved up a weight class and looks to make even more noise in the light heavyweight division when he takes on one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen.
“UFC fans were thrilled to see UFC 111 on the big screen and watching it in their local movie theaters gives them a feeling of being at the event – LIVE,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “UFC 115 is shaping up to be a terrific bout and these fighters are sure to put on an amazing show for the fans who will see every armbar, heel hook, rear naked choke and tap out like never before on the big screen in high definition.”
The historic match-up will be shown in select movie theaters including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as the Carolina Theatre (Asheville, NC), Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.
The event will be the first UFC fight held in British Columbia since the Vancouver City Council passed a bill to sanction mixed martial arts events in December 2009.
About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater network covers 171 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 17,100 screens (15,500 digital). During 2009, approximately 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (excluding Consolidated Theatres). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing approximately 40 entertainment-related web sites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 40.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.fathomevents.com.
About Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gymâ„¢, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expoâ„¢ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagonâ„¢ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
Tickets for the live event in Vancouver sold out in less than 30 minutes, setting a record for the fastest sell-out in UFC history. Eager fans can catch all the action in their local theaters by purchasing tickets at www.FathomEvents.comand at presenting theater box offices. Visit the NCM Fathom website for a complete list of theater locations and prices (theaters and participants are subject to change).
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UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will be the first-ever fight between these legends and former champions. The 40-year-old Liddell was the light heavyweight champion from April 2005 to May 2007 and Franklin was the middleweight champion from June 2005 to October 2007. Select undercards will also be shown in theaters leading up to the main event including Mirko “Cro Cop” vs. Pat Barry, Paulo Thiago vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann, Carlos Condit vs. Rory “The Water Boy” MacDonald and Gilbert Yvel vs. Ben Rothwell.
UFC and Fathom announced an agreement in February to present live
UFC events on the big screen in high definition throughout 2010
beginning with “UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy” featuring Georges
“Rush” St-Pierre vs. British bomber Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, which
took place on March 27 (St-Pierre defeated Hardy via unanimous
decision). A survey of fans attending UFC111 in theaters
overwhelmingly felt seeing the event in theaters was a great
experience and better than they had expected. Fans also indicated
that the value was excellent compared to watching UFC111 in other
venues.
A fighter with dynamite in both fists and a champion who is known around the world, Liddell (fighting out of San Luis Obispo, Calif. / 21-7 professional record) has faced the best and beaten the best. With an amazing 10 knockouts in the UFC, with seven of those coming consecutively, Liddell is considered one of the greatest strikers in UFC history. With wins over Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort, this UFC Hall of Famer has cemented a legacy for himself in the sport of mixed martial arts. Liddell is also known to fans as the coach on The Ultimate Fighter® Season 11, which airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Spike TV.
A former high school math teacher turned world-class mixed martial artist, Franklin (fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio / 27-5-0 1 NC) holds memorable wins over Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hamill, Jason MacDonald and Nate Quarry. The former UFC middleweight champion holds 12 wins in the UFC, has moved up a weight class and looks to make even more noise in the light heavyweight division when he takes on one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen.
“UFC fans were thrilled to see UFC 111 on the big screen and watching it in their local movie theaters gives them a feeling of being at the event – LIVE,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “UFC 115 is shaping up to be a terrific bout and these fighters are sure to put on an amazing show for the fans who will see every armbar, heel hook, rear naked choke and tap out like never before on the big screen in high definition.”
The historic match-up will be shown in select movie theaters including AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as the Carolina Theatre (Asheville, NC), Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.
The event will be the first UFC fight held in British Columbia since the Vancouver City Council passed a bill to sanction mixed martial arts events in December 2009.
About National CineMedia (NCM)
NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. The NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater network covers 171 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 17,100 screens (15,500 digital). During 2009, approximately 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (excluding Consolidated Theatres). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing approximately 40 entertainment-related web sites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 40.7% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.ncm.com or www.fathomevents.com.
About Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gymâ„¢, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expoâ„¢ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.
Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagonâ„¢ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.
