[bears9]

ProElite Inc., the parent company of Elite Xtreme Combat, is expected to announce a deal with CBS that will put MMA on major network television for the first time.

Sources close to the deal tell MMAjunkie.com
(UFC News & Rumors - MMA News - UFC Fighters - UFC Event Recaps and Previews - MMAjunkie.com) that an agreement has been reached between CBS and the Los Angeles-based ProElite. However, officials could not publicly comment on the matter.

EliteXC was founded as a partnership with Showtime Networks Inc. in 2006. The organization’s events, which are held under the EliteXC and ShowXC banners, currently air on Showtime. Showtime is owned by CBS.

A source who spoke exclusively to MMAjunkie.com said that CBS will broadcast live EliteXC events in prime-time slots. The events will likely take place every other month.

EliteXC Expected to Announce Deal with CBS — MMAjunkie.com Exclusive -- MMAjunkie.com

[Lefty Noob]

Well, if this happens, won't that put EliteXC is a very strong position to challenge the UFC for the MMA throne?

[bears9]

Originally Posted by Lefty Noob

Well, if this happens, won't that put EliteXC is a very strong position to challenge the UFC for the MMA throne?

EliteXC is probably number 2 right now, the UFC better get to work or EliteXC could very well could pass them.

[bears9]

Some of the details are starting to come together, including that Kimbo Slice will likely headline the first event in New Jersey.



Thanks to Kevin Iole of MMAjunkie.com’s partner site Yahoo! Sports, we now have a few additional details.

According to his report, the official announcement of the deal will come tomorrow. In it, EliteXC and CBS will confirm a four-fight deal that begins with an event in April.

Additionally, Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, the YouTube brawler who earned a lucrative long-term deal with EliteXC in late 2007, will likely headline the first CBS event — either in Atlantic City, N.J. or at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Iole reports.

Ferguson, a former bodyguard in the pornography business who now trains with MMA legend Bas Rutten, most recently defeated veteran slugger David “Tank” Abbott in the main event of the organization’s Feb. 16 “Street Certified” show. The event, which drew a sold-out crowd of 6,187, set a record live gate for the University of Miami’s BankUnited Center.

Ferguson, who hails from Miami, was the primary draw for the event. As MMAjunkie.com previously reported, he earned an event-best base salary of $175,000, according to the Florida State Boxing Commission. Additionally, since our initial report, MMAjunkie.com has been informed that EliteXC officials, including EliteXC live events president Gary Shaw, and Ferguson have met and discussed a possible contract extension.

According to Iole, CBS is expected to air the EliteXC events on Saturdays as live two-hour broadcasts, most likely from 9 to 11 p.m. ET.

EliteXC, which was formed as a partnership with Showtime Networks Inc. in 2006, had previously aired almost all of its events on the subscription-cable channel. Earlier today Sam Caplan of fiveouncesofpain.com passed along a report that stated Showtime subscription totals rose 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007. A highly publicized October “ShoXC” event and a major November EliteXC show likely played a role in the increase.

More Details on Landmark EliteXC-CBS Deal; Kimbo Slice Possible Headliner -- MMAjunkie.com

[EmpireWF]

This is a HUGE coup for Elite-XC.

You have no idea what it means for MMA to be on a "legit" broadcast network such as CBS.

It meant the world for the sport when UFC got the Spike TV deal in 2005 and it's definitely as big, if not bigger for a organization to go to CBS.

This means UFC could have some legit competition stateside. It remains to be seen how Elite-XC grows because they have yet to have their own PPV. I don't think they will have one in 2008 but you never know.

UFC can't be too happy since they were the ones negotiating last year for a network spot.

Even though right now it looks like it's a Saturday 2-hour timeslot, this is still huge.