INTERNATIONAL FIGHT LEAGUE “FIGHT NIGHT” TO RE-AIR ENTIRE SEASON ON SUNDAYS BEGINNING ON SEPTEMBER 30
Full 2007 season to be re-shown on consecutive Sundays through March, highlighting best matches of first season
NEW YORK, August 23, 2007 – The International Fight League (OTC.BB: IFLI), the world’s number one team-based professional mixed martial arts league, and Fox Sports Net (FSN) announced today that the network will re-air the entire 2007 season of IFL action, in order, beginning on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m., then following weekly at its regular new time slot of 5 p.m. local time in most regions. The re-airs will run each week through March 2008.
The 5 p.m. time on Sunday nights, which proved successful for IFL programming last year, is one of the most desirable national slots on FSN’s calendar during the busy fall and winter seasons, and will give the IFL added national exposure.
“Our growth as a brand and as a league during our first full season is due in large part to our belief that the sport of MMA, like all rising sports, needs consistent television exposure on broadcast TV and basic cable,” said Gareb Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO. “Our partnership with FSN from the beginning has given us that cable exposure that has helped us build market share and star athletes, and we are very excited to be able to continue to expose our athletes through this consistent weekly programming. It will give fans a chance to see how these athletes started in the league, catch events they might not have seen the first time, and see their favorite events again, all in a very desirable and consistent time slot.”
“The IFL is one of the most dynamic new programs to hit the air,” said George Greenberg, FSN executive vice president. “It’s been a ratings success and we are proud to give the league the additional exposure.”
The encore presentations will afford fans the opportunity to again see great IFL matches such as the classic Chris Horodecki vs. Bart Palaszewski lightweight bout, the controversial Ben Rothwell vs. Roy Nelson heavyweight clash and the Brad Blackburn vs. Jay Hieron welterweight matchup.
The current IFL season will conclude on Thursday, Sept. 20, with Renzo Gracie’s New York Pitbulls meeting Pat Miletich’s Quad Cities Silverbacks at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. That event will be shown on FSN on Sept. 23.
About FSNFSN is the nation’s leading provider of local sports. Through its affiliates and other FNG-owned networks, FSN reaches more than 82 million homes through 25 regional networks. Fox Networks Group owns FSN Arizona, FSN Detroit, FSN Florida, FSN Midwest, FSN Indiana, FSN North, FSN Northwest, FSN Ohio, FSN Pittsburgh, FSN Prime Ticket, FSN Rocky Mountain, FSN Utah, FSN South, FSN Southwest, FSN Houston, FSN West, Sun Sports and SportSouth. FSN also has programming affiliations with Comcast-owned regional sports networks in Chicago, Baltimore/Washington, DC and Philadelphia, as well as Rainbow-owned FSN Bay Area, FSN New England, FSN New York, and Madison Square Garden Network.
Based in Los Angeles, FSN owned– or affiliated-regional sports networks serve as the TV home to 68 of the 82 MLB, NHL and NBA teams based in the United States. FSN produces close to 5,000 live, mostly local, events each year, including nearly 1000 in high definition. In addition to its thousands of home team games and a wide variety of locally produced sports programs, FSN televises national sports events and programs, including Pac-10 and ACC basketball; Pac-10 and Big 12 football; Best Damn Sports Show Period; CMI: The Chris Myers Interviews; In Focus and The FSN Final Score. For the latest up-to-the-minute sports new and opinions, visit the FOX Sports/FSN website at www.FOXSports.com.