or


[01/16/07 - 04:30 PM]
Fsn & MyNetworkTV Reach Strategic Programming Alliance with International Fight League
MyNetworkTV is planning to broadcast 22 two-hour IFL-produced programs - "an exciting combination of event action, highlights, features, vignettes and the league's latest news" - to begin in mid-2007.

[via press release from MyNetworkTV]

FSN & MyNetworkTV Reach Strategic Programming Alliance with International Fight League

Joint Venture Formed to Manage Digital Rights

Weekly Programs to Air on FSN & MyNetworkTV This Season

NEW YORK & LOS ANGELES -- FSN and MyNetworkTV have reached a strategic, three-tier television and new media programming alliance with the International Fight League (IFL). The joint announcement was made today by FSN President Bob Thompson, Twentieth Television President Bob Cook, and IFL CEO Gareb Shamus.

International Fight League, Inc. (OTCBB:IFLI), co-founded by Shamus and Kurt Otto, is the world�s first team-based professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league. The IFL launches its first full 11-date season this Friday, Jan. 19, 2007 in Oakland, Calif. The IFL operates as a single entity with 12 teams, 10 of which are based in the United States (New York, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tucson, Portland, San Jose, Reno, Orange County and the Quad Cities), along with teams in Tokyo and Toronto.

Under terms of the alliance, FSN has multi-year rights to televise 22 one-hour late night event programs, produced by the IFL, beginning in the second quarter of 2007. FSN also has the right to produce related ancillary programming, pay-per-view events and video-on-demand product.

The agreement also calls for FSN and the IFL to establish a joint venture to manage, maximize and distribute IFL-related digital media rights including online/Internet, broadband video and mobile, with the potential to leverage Fox�s powerful digital assets including Myspace, IGN, Fox Mobile Entertainment�s new global distribution partnerships and other potential third party digital platforms.

�Mixed martial arts, which has evolved tremendously in recent years, is one of the fastest growing sports in the world,� said FSN�s Thompson. �In addition to FSN committing a regular weekly window to the IFL to help establish the league, News Corp�s broad array of digital platforms positions us perfectly to unlock and maximize the tremendous value of the league�s new media potential.�

In addition to FSN�s weekly program and the digital media joint venture, MyNetworkTV is planning to broadcast 22 two-hour IFL-produced programs to begin in mid-2007. The IFL produced programs for MyNetworkTV will be an exciting combination of event action, highlights, features, vignettes and the league�s latest news.

�We are thrilled to be working with the IFL and we look forward to developing action-filled programming based on their events for our viewers,� said Cook. �The dynamic nature of IFL�s teamwork and competition also provides a colorful backdrop to go beyond the athletes� lives outside of the ring.�

�This is a historic day for the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, and we want to thank everyone at FOX for seeing this great opportunity and making it a reality,� said Shamus, IFL co-founder and CEO. �This partnership will give MMA in general and the IFL in particular a chance to showcase the personalities, training regimen and great skill and discipline that these athletes and their coaches have to a much wider audience both in the United States and eventually around the world.�

The IFL was assisted in the negotiation of the partnership by the William Morris Agency.

Each of the 12 IFL teams for 2007 competes in three regular season events; the teams with the top four overall win-loss team records will advance to the semi-finals, which will be held on Thursday, Aug. 2 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2007 IFL Finals will be held at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 15. Each of the nine regular season IFL events consists of four teams � each with an athlete in five weight classes competing. The team that wins the best three of five match setup wins, similar to collegiate and high school wrestling meets. The coach of each team is a world-renown MMA champion, who has assembled his team (the athletes all train as a team together) in a specific city and training center.

The IFL also differs from other MMA organizations in that the bouts are held in an oversized five-rope boxing ring with three, four-minute rounds, each designed to create the most compelling in-arena experience. The IFL has also exceeded the state regulations for safety in the ring, by outlawing elbow strikes to the head. The rules also prohibit head butting, hair pulling, elbows to the head or face, and strikes to the spine, kidney, throat or back of the head. Fighters are not allowed to use abusive language in the fighting area or any form of unsportsmanlike conduct that causes injury to an opponent.

All events will be subject to the rules and approval of the state athletic commissions in each state in which the event will be held. The scoring system is similar to professional boxing as well. However, in the event of a draw, a fourth round takes place to decide a winner.

About FSN

FSN 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; the Mansionpoker.net Poker Dome Challenge, 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.

About MyNetworkTV

MyNetworkTV is the new primetime general entertainment broadcast television network that launched September 5, 2006. Targeted to Adults 18-49 and broadcast television�s only all Hi-Definition network, as well as the only network with original programming 52 weeks a year, MyNetworkTV provides its affiliates 12 hours of programming Monday through Saturday. Currently, MyNetworkTV airs Twentieth Television�s dramas �Wicked Wicked Games,� starring Oscar-winning actress Tatum O�Neal, and �Watch Over Me,� with Dayanara Torres, Casper Van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg, For more information, please visit www.mynetworktv.com.

About IFL

International Fight League� (IFL) is the world�s first professional mixed martial arts sports league. IFL has its headquarters in New York, NY and offices in Las Vegas, NV. For more information about IFL, please see: www.ifl.tv.





  [january 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· IFL BATTLEGROUND (MYNETWORKTV)





[03/10/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "Man on Fire" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is "Man on Fire." The action-packed new series debuts April 30, only on Netflix.

[03/10/26 - 10:01 AM]
Prime Video Announces New Stand-Up Comedy Special "Kountry Wayne: Nostalgia"
The one-hour special will premiere March 23, 2026 on Prime Video.

[03/10/26 - 09:31 AM]
Video: "Is This Thing On?" - Trailer - Hulu
Directed by Bradley Cooper, the film streams on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ March 20.

[03/10/26 - 09:01 AM]
Bon Appetit! "Eva Longoria: Searching for France" Premieres Sunday, April 12 at 9pm ET/PT
The series will air two episodes weekly on Sundays at 9pm at 10pm ET/PT on CNN.

[03/10/26 - 09:01 AM]
The "52nd American Music Awards" to Air Live from MGM Grand Garden Arena on Monday, May 25, on CBS and Paramount+
Nominations, which are based on key fan interactions as reflected on the Billboard charts, including streaming, album and song sales, radio airplay, and tour grosses, will be announced on Tuesday, April 14.

[03/10/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: "Untold: Chess Mates" - Official Trailer - Netflix
How did a match between chess grandmasters devolve into a bizarre scandal about anal beads? This documentary digs into the stranger-than-fiction story.

[03/10/26 - 08:15 AM]
Video: Acorn TV Unveils First Look at New Original Series "You're Killing Me," Starring and Executive Produced by Brooke Shields
Amalia Williamson and Tom Cavanagh also star in the six-episode murder mystery series, premiering this spring.

[03/10/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: MGM+ Debuts Official Trailer for Season Four of the Hit Sci-Fi Horror Series "From"
In season four, the closer the residents of town get to the answers they seek, the more terrifying their search becomes.

[03/10/26 - 08:00 AM]
"America's Culinary Cup" Announces the Acclaimed Guest Judges Bringing the Heat and Key Expertise to CBS' New High-Stakes Cooking Competition
14 renowned guest judges are bringing the heat and key expertise to CBS' new high-stakes cooking competition this season, beginning with the March 11 episode.

[03/10/26 - 07:12 AM]
CNN And Variety Announce Special Programming Live from the Oscars Red Carpet with "CNN & Variety Red Carpet Live"
Beginning at 4pm ET, join Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ramin Setoodeh live from the Oscars red carpet as they bring audiences up close and personal with the world's most-famous stars on Hollywood's biggest night.

[03/10/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Remarkably Bright Creatures" - Official Teaser - Netflix
"Remarkably Bright Creatures," starring Sally Field, Lewis Pullman, and Alfred Molina as the voice of Marcellus, based on the bestselling phenomenon by Shelby Van Pelt coming to Netflix May 8.

[03/10/26 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Way too Much, Still Never Enough - Emmy Award Winner Riz Ahmed stars as Shah Latif in "Bait" Trailer
All six-episodes will be available on March 25, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[03/10/26 - 06:31 AM]
Roku and X Games Expand U.S. Streaming Rights Partnership with Multi-Year Deal for MoonPay X Games League
Beginning in 2026 with the inaugural Summer season, followed by the first Winter season in 2027, the league will stream free to fans nationwide on Roku Sports Channel.

[03/10/26 - 06:02 AM]
Video: "Roommates" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a hopeful, naive college freshman, Devon, asks the cool and confident Celeste to be her roommate, a blossoming friendship spirals into a war of passive aggression.

[03/10/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Prosecutor" - Official Trailer - Netflix
This raw documentary series follows Mexico City's first Director of the Office of Femicide - a new division dedicated to ending violence against women.