FOX PREMIERES UFC PROGRAMMING ON MARCH 17 AS PART OF EXCLUSIVE BROADCASTING DEAL
FOX International Channels partners with The Ultimate Fighting Championship to bring the fastest-growing sport in the world to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia on two leading channels, FOX and FOX Movies Premium.
Asia, March 14, 2012 – FOX International Channels (FIC) has the multi-year exclusive TV distribution rights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC®), as Asia’s leading pay-TV network continues to add more live event television to its programming lineup. This includes premium fight events, such as UFC-144 which aired live on FOX Movies Premium last month, and other popular UFC programs and events. FOX will premiere Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” one of the longest running reality shows in the U.S., on March 17.
The UFC – the leading promoter of the rapidly growing sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) – has filled arenas in cities as diverse as Tokyo, London, Rio de Janeiro, Abu Dhabi and all over the United States. UFC programming is available to over 1 billion people around the world. In Asia, the popularity of the sport is growing rapidly with the rise of Asian UFC fighters such as Chan Sung Jung from Korea, dubbed the “Korean Zombie” and Tiequan Zhang from China, nicknamed “The Mongolian Wolf.” Inspired by the UFC phenomenon, many MMA gyms and classes have also cropped up in cities across Asia to tap into the trend and cater to the growing fan base.
FOX is now the home of UFC. Every Saturday night starting March 17, FOX will air the best of UFC programming in a block entitled “UFC Fight Night.” The channel will offer an unparalleled amount of content such as “The Ultimate Fighter,” the best of UFC fight events (both delayed live and rerun), behind-the-scenes specials, and fighter profiles to excite and grow the UFC fan base.
The biggest UFC events featuring top-ranked fighters in packed arenas with tens of thousands of fans are broadcasted live on FOX Movies Premium. The channel delivers the excitement of these thrilling fights with the world’s most talented athletes on a per-event basis, with the next scheduled broadcast being UFC-145 on April 22, live from Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. All of the biggest UFC events will also be available on FOX Movies Play (www.foxmoviesplay.com), the landmark online On Demand service launched this year as a part of the FOX Movies Premium experience.
“FIC’s partnership with the UFC is breaking new ground by connecting audiences in Asia to the fastest growing sport in the world,” said Ward Platt, President of Asia Pacific and the Middle East at FOX International Channels. “We are already the leaders in general entertainment with the best series and movies, so this is a way for us to also bring live event television to our audiences.”
“There is a rapidly-growing base of die-hard UFC fans in Asia,” said Mark Fischer, Managing Director of Asia for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “With FIC’s great channel brands and leading position, we can’t think of better pay-TV network to partner with to reach these fans.”
About FOX International Channels
FOX International Channels (FIC) is News Corporation’s international multi-media business. We develop, produce and distribute 300+ wholly- and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports and movie channels across Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa, in 37 languages. These networks and their related mobile, non-linear and high-definition extensions, reach over 1 billion cumulative subscribing worldwide. We also operate a global online advertising unit, .FOX (pronounced “dot-fox”) specialized in online video and display, and four TV production houses, in operation since August 14, 1993.
In Asia, FIC operates or distributes 36 channel brands, including the FOX, STAR and National Geographic brands, with over 100 feeds across 15 markets, reaching more than 550 million cumulative subscribers in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. We have offices in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.foxinternationalchannels.com.
About Ultimate Fighting Championship
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. It is the largest live pay-per-view event provider in the world and one of the top six most popular sports in the U.S. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in more than 150 countries and territories, reaching more than a billion homes worldwide in 21 different languages. UFC fighters are now recognized as world-class athletes, with a unique combination of athletic talent, martial arts skills, fitness, determination, and sportsmanship. UFC’s 300-plus contracted fighters hail from more than 25 countries from around the world, and compete across eight weight classes, ranging from flyweight (up to 125 lbs.) to heavyweight (206-265 lbs.). For more details on the UFC, UFC events, and UFC’s roster of fighters, go to: www.UFC.com
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