It seems like we've been waiting a long time for GLORY to land that big television deal in the United States and today it was finally announced. After many months of speculation, GLORY announced today that their deal with Spike TV is now done and that the promotion will start airing on the channel with live broadcasts in October.
As of right now there aren't many other details about the deal, but it was noted that live, two hour broadcasts of GLORY events from around the world and of course in the United States would be aired on select Saturdays in primetime.
This deal was a long time in the making, with hints dating all the way back to the beginning of this year. Ultimately, this is pretty huge for the sport of kickboxing, as its landed on a network that already airs and has a history of promoting and marketing combat sports, in the form of MMA. The news also comes in a period where the future was looking a bit murky, and thus has given things a whole new sense of direction.
Read the full press release below:
GLORY Kickboxing Program to Debut In Primetime LIVE On Spike In Fall, 2013
New York, NY, June 27, 2013 – Spike TV will expand its sports line-up with the addition of GLORY Sports International's (GSI) brand of kickboxing premiering in Fall, 2013. The action-packed LIVE sports programming, part of an overall GSI content initiative, will air 2-hour events in primetime on select Saturday nights from around the world as part of a multi-year partnership was announced today by Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports and Multiplatform Programming, Spike TV, and Andrew Whitaker, Chief Executive GLORY Sports International, Pte Ltd.
“We are thrilled to partner with GSI in bringing Spike TV's audience the incredible action and intensity of GLORY’s fight league, which feature the best kickboxers in the world,” said Slusser. “Viewers will quickly see this as the perfect complement to our coverage of Bellator, the world’s leading tournament-based MMA promotion.”
"Spike has established itself as the home of combat sports in a way that is unique. Its audience will expect the most exciting ring action and we promise to deliver it," said Whitaker. "Glory kickboxing is the next big thing and Spike clearly knows something about spotting aces in the sports programming space."
GLORY Sports International is the world's premier stand-up fighting league, staging events across the globe. The fight series includes multi-man tournaments, along with traditional, single bouts. The most elite kickboxers in the world fight for GLORY including Tyrone Spong, Gokhan Saki, Semmy Schilt, Nieky Holzken, Yuta Kubo, Giorgio Petrosyan, Daniel Ghita, Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky and Albert Kraus.
Spike TV has a long tradition of telecasting the best in action sports, and is currently the home of the emerging mixed martial arts league, Bellator MMA.
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