and not the UFC, do they pay to be on ESPN?
Because K1 is much bigger sport worldwide than MMA. The real question is why doesn't K1 show an MMA match sometime when they are on ESPN?
The real question is why has the same 2 hours of K-1 been shown dozens of times on ESPN
I have all these questions and no answers.
"The real question is why has the same 2 hours of K-1 been shown dozens of times on ESPN"
Right, slip in a MMA match to mix it up.
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Isn't ESPN a partial promotor of K-1? I know they have something to do with the organization besides just airing segments on their channel.
All I've heard is they have the rights to K-1 in the US
UFC and PRIDE are obviously Pay Per View. So no ESPN.
K-1 is well produced and marketed, and with a guy like SAPP involved it has a unique viewer appeal.
Televising some MMA educational programming that is really well produced, prior to live boxing on ESPN, HBO or SHOWTIME, for some reasonable period of time, then scheduling some quality events for the fans to see and experience could ignite MMA in more main stream situations.
I have to believe there are milions of football and boxing fans that would love quality MMA, once they understood it more.
K-1 is easier to understand for most viewers.
UFC and MMA in general are less viewer friendly since there's so much more to know.
K-1 is PPV as well.
K-1 is proabably paying for the time... I can't imagine ESPN execs buying the copyright, then just playing the same events over and over (plus the sponsors are small-time, suggesting that it is not ESPN selling the ad time).
I would guess that K-1 is shelling out the dough and just putting whatever they thing will catch the American audiences attention (Vegas shows, Sapp, big finals like Hoost/LeBanner, etc...)
"The real question is why has the same 2 hours of K-1 been shown dozens of times on ESPN"
Truewrestler has double legged the correct!
Yeah - ESPN networks are AWFUL about showing the same martial arts events over and over again. I recall seeing the same Shidokan, breaking competitions, "New Sport" Judo, and forms competitions over and over and over for the last few years.
Every time they get martial arts footage in one form or another shy'll show it to death for the next 5-6 months.
I recall seeing an MMA fight on ESPN a few years ago, though. I think it was a kickboxing show, but there was a match featuring Matt Serra (or was it Nick?) against a local karate guy. I even remember Frank Shamrock doing the commentary for the fight.
"Right, slip in a MMA match to mix it up."
No, just stop playing the same K-1 fights and show some of the lesser seen/smaller events they've held.
They must be paying, they seem to get some prime time slots as well.
Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
I guess one of the points I was trying to make is how can they get on ESPN II and the UFC can't?
--- "I guess one of the points I was trying to make is how can they get on ESPN II and the UFC can't?"
1) ESPN is not going to buy the UFC...
2) The UFC does not seem to think they need to pay for time
3) The UFC does not have an ESPN'ish entitlement sponsor to carry the production and ad time costs (one of the casinos could be good for this).
4) The UFC's image does not really suit the ESPN image (they push "Martial Arts" like crazy with K-1).
The UFC should buy time on Fox Sports Net...
Max is over their now...
Time is probably cheaper...
Maybe they would do a copyright deal...
Have you seen the production quality of some of the stuff they run on that network???
Fox is a bit more edgy that ESPN anyway...
the question should be why on the digital tv guide when you hit info it fuckin describes K1 as "Karate"
--- "K-1 is definitely not paying for the time."
How can you be so "definate"???
--- "There's no way they're shelling out the money for that."
Brother... K-1 has pretty deep pockets... An hour for ESPN is around $90,000 for weeknight prime time (7-11 PM). Plus ESPN would not eat the costs unless they were bringing in some major players to buy the ad time... Inside Kung Fu Magazine and Fairtex are not throwing high dollars for comercial spots...
--- "They are probably doing some kind of barter deal with the network."
More like they are doing a barter withe Bellagio and MGM (the arena gets some promotions out of it, after all). K-1 probably bout a bunch of time slots over a period of time and got a package deal. They made a deal with the casinos to split the bill...