I may finally have a reason to watch Spike TV. From Spike TV Enlists for ‘Ultimate Fighter’:
Spike TV is stepping into the ring with Ultimate Fighting Championship for a series about the martial arts sport. The male-oriented cable network has ordered 13 hour-long episodes of ‘Ultimate Fighter’ to begin airing in January.Set to start shooting in September in Las Vegas, ‘Fighter’ will chronicle a competition among 20 athletes to earn a shot at a spot in the UFC league. Mixed martial arts involves fighters of different weight classes battling each other using techniques from karate, judo and kickboxing.
The Spike deal represents a turnabout for UFC, which cable operators dropped from pay-per-view during the late 1990s because of controversy over its violent action. Since coming under new ownership in 2001, the sport has remade itself in a bid for mainstream viewers.
UFC president Dana White believes that the Spike deal will expose the sport to new fans. ‘This is huge for us,’ he said. ‘It will take UFC to the next level.’
Robert Riesenberg, one of the executive producers, said he expects to sign up advertisers from several categories — ranging from energy drinks to athletic shoes — that would help finance the series in exchange for product integration and off-air extensions of UFC in everything from radio and Internet advertising.
By the way, stepping into the ring? It’s the octagon, people.