Quote:
Originally Posted by brundles
It's not quite been 2 weeks yet, but as the postal strikes are pretty much over (for now!) I'm curious as to whether you got "the letter" or heard anything else at all from them.
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Play TV UK Lands Global Broadcast Rights For The Fight Network.
6 September 2007: British broadcaster, PlayTV UK, has signed a contract for the distribution rights to the world’s biggest, 24 hour, combat sports channel, The Fight Network (TFN), based in Canada. This deal utilises UK-based Global Digital Broadcast’s IPTV management platform and advanced engineering, making it possible to stream the popular TFN content out of Toronto and to a global audience of fight fans.
The eight new PlayTV/The Fight Network channels include; one 24/7 live stream and seven specialist channels, featuring mixed martial arts from the USA, the UK and Japan. Content is available as live, scheduled, video-on-demand (VoD) and pay-per-view (PPV).
Mr. George Burger, president and CEO of The Fight Network, says: “It is immensely exciting to be carried on this cutting-edge platform, developed by PlayTV. Our strategic priority is to expand The Fight Network brand around the world, on all platforms, to reach every fight fan, everywhere, at any time. The technology that PlayTV and its partners have developed enable speciality services, like ours, with our genuinely unique sports content package and huge fan appeal, to reach audiences in ways which were not previously available. Broadband delivery is the future and the future is here with PlayTV.”
The Fight Network is already hugely successful across Canada, delivering the best of mixed martial arts (MMA), the fastest-growing combatant sport (featuring brands such as Montreal’s TKO, the UK’s own Cage Rage and Rumble on the Rock from Hawaii); boxing (including specialist Ballroom Boxing and Guilty Boxing); wrestling (featuring Ring of Honour and Memphis Wrestling); and other combat styles, along with fight theme films (with underground material from Tough-Guy Cinema), documentaries, television series and breaking news. Support, insight and ‘star power’ appeal are provided by leading MMA, boxing and wrestling personalities, including the MMA renowned official, “Big” John McCarthy and the current heavyweight champion, Randy “The Natural” Couture (both of whom contribute on-air analysis for the network).
Launched in September 2005, The Fight Network is available on virtually every cable and satellite carrier across Canada. In addition, its weekly radio show, The LAW (Live Audio Wrestling), is heard on terrestrial stations in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, while its daily show, Fight Network Radio, is heard across North America on Siruis channel 186, hosted by Mauro Ranallo. Its news content and exclusive merchandise is also marketed on its website. Support, insight and ‘star power’ appeal are provided by leading MMA, boxing and wrestling personalities, including the MMA renowned official, “Big” John McCarthy and the current heavyweight champion, Randy “The Natural” Couture (both of whom contribute on-air analysis for the network).
Mr. David Reynolds, director of PlayTV UK, says: “We knew Global Digital Broadcast could take PlayTV global and our imminent launch is made all the more exhilarating with deals of this stature. It is certainly a great accolade for a British platform to be hosting eight channels from the world’s leading MMA and combatant sports network.”
Mr. David Wray, co-founder and director of Global Digital Broadcast, comments: “The GDB platform is a perfect fit for these guys and I can see The Fight Network becoming a leading sports multi-channel on PlayTV, especially with the ever-growing number of fight fans in the UK.”
Mr. Jim Deans, co-founder and managing director of Global Digital Broadcast, adds: “Seeing this deal come to fruition just as we are heading out to Amsterdam to demonstrate the portal at IBC2007, means that we can include The Fight Network in our trade launch at one of the most prestigious technology conventions in the world.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About The Fight Network:
The Fight Network is a multi-platform sports and entertainment company, providing its content to fight fans on digital television, PPV, VoD, radio, mobile and online. It is the global leader in coverage of all combatant sports, including mixed martial arts, boxing, wrestling, kickboxing and theme-related entertainment. The Fight Network will be Canada’s first non-music speciality channel to export its brand. The Fight Network Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of TFN Global Inc. (formerly Blackout Communications Inc.), whose corporate headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada. For further information, please visit:
http://www.thefightnetwork.com
About Global Digital Broadcast:
Global Digital Broadcast is headquartered in Brighton, with technical/editing studios in Hove (both in East Sussex, UK). It specialises in internet protocol television (IPTV) channel creation and delivery to television sets via IP set-top boxes (in addition to PCs and other compatible media) and operates one of the world’s largest networks of independent content owners and community channels for IPTV.
About PlayTV UK:
PlayTV UK is a British broadcast network, based in Sussex, UK and incorporating VeHDa, the leading independent manufacturer of high-definition and digital technologies in the UK. It has recently amalgamated with Global Digital Broadcast in order to provide a triple-play package including IPTV, telephone and broadband services.